There is no doubt that strikers and forwards are the favourites in the Premier League. They are the ones who mostly make the headlines. However, people tend to overlook the defenders. Aside from the three aforementioned, defenders also deserve the spotlight.
Most of the players on this list are from Liverpool. They are the champions of the 2019/20 season of the Premier League. In the current season, Liverpool still puts up a great fight as they are keen on winning again.
2020 is definitely a challenging year in the sports industry especially that it affected football match odds. Even if the league is suspended for three months, the players still did a great job on the field once they came back. Well, here are the top Premier League defenders you should know:
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Robertson plays as a left-back for Liverpool in the Premier League, and he is also the captain of the Scotland national team. As a matter of fact, he is regarded as one of the top left-backs in the league. He also delivered a total of 12 assists since the beginning of 2020.
With his outstanding performance on the field, he was named as PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year in 2012. Before joining Liverpool, he also played with Queen's Park (2012-2013), Dundee United (2013-2014), and Hull City (2014-2017).
Because of his enthusiasm to play and crossing ability which magnets the attention of fans and former players alike. Fabio Aurelio, a former left-back of the team said that one of the reasons why Robertson caught his attention is that he is always improving.
Reece James (Chelsea)
He usually plays as the right-back of Chelsea and England national team. He was also the captain of the under-18s in the 2017/18 season wherein he also led the team to victory. Even if he just recovered from an injury, he made his debut for Chelsea in 2019. The amazing thing is that he assisted two in a 7-1 win and one goal in the 2019/20 season. James is also recognized as the team's youngest goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Alexander-Arnold usually plays as the right-back of Liverpool and the England national team. He has been playing for the team since he joined Liverpool's academy in 2004. He became the captain of the club across youth levels.
He is regarded as one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League because of his ability to immediately occupy attacking spaces and create goal-scoring opportunities for the team. Alexander-Arnold is also considered as one of the most creative players in the league because of his assisting role.
Here are some of the awards he received:
- Liverpool Young Player of the Season Award (2017 and 2018)
- PFA Team of the Year (2019)
- PFA Young Player of the Year (2020)
- Golden Boy Runner Up (2018)
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season (2019)
- Premier League Player of the Month (2019)
- Premier League Young Player of the Season (2020)
Aside from playing football, he also volunteers as an ambassador for the team's charity, An Hour for Others, which provides aid to impoverished communities.
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
He is a Dutch centre-back of Liverpool and also the captain of the Netherlands national team. Van Dijk is regarded as one of the best defenders in the Premier League. What makes him more impressive is that he is the only defender who won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year.
Van Dijk is known as a strong, right-footed centre-back who has a good playing technique. He is also an effective set-piece taker, and also has an eye for goal. In fact, Lionel Messi admitted that Van Dijk was difficult to defeat.
Messi also said that Dijk knows how to judge his timing and wait for the right moment to challenge the opponents. He also has an impressive defence and attacking skills which created opportunities for the team to score.
Love it or hate it, these players might also be in the spotlight this season. Check out the best football match odds and do not forget to place your bets on these players.
