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The Premier League is arguably the toughest and most demanding top-flight league across Europe. As such, the league is filled with a lot of players who would love to make a tackle or two, whether in defense or in the middle of the park.
With games in England's top-tier played at a frantic pace, players who love to tackle must walk a disciplinary tightrope. If the tackle is unsuccessful, they may risk giving away a foul and earning a card or losing the attacker on the run.
Several Premier League teams possess excellent tacklers
Many Premier League teams possess excellent players who are adept at lunging into tackles and coming away with the ball in a fair way. So here, we take a look at the five best tacklers in the Premier League right now.
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These players have been selected based on their tackle success rate from the start of the 2020-21 season till date. Players who have played a majority of the previous season as well as this season have only been considered for this list. So without further adieu, let's take a look at them:
#5 Wilfred Ndidi - Leicester City
After the departure of N'Golo Kante to Chelsea, Leicester City were in search of a new defensive midfielder. Their search led to Wilfred Ndidi, who arrived from Genk in 2017 for around £16 million. The Nigerian international has certainly not disappointed so far and has cemented his reputation at both club and international level.
Ndidi has been crucial to the Foxes' top six finish in the Premier League for the last two seasons and was also a key part of their FA Cup win last season.
The 24-year-old is one of the best tacklers in the Premier League, with his excellent positional awareness helping him intercept opposition attacks flawlessly. He is great at breaking up play and winning the ball back. His defensive abilities have allowed Brendan Rodgers to surround him with more attacking players in midfield.
Since the start of last season, Ndidi has made 72 successful tackes in the Premier League, with a success rate of 63.15 per cent. During the 2020-21 campaign, the midfielder had a tackle success rate of 66 per cent, one of the highest in the Premier league.
Ndidi's skills in midfield have certainly attracted a lot of attention from big clubs across Europe. However, Leicester will be hoping to hold onto the midfielder for as long as possible in a bid to establish themselves as a major force in the Premier League.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka - Manchester United
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has often been criticized for his lack of attacking output but there's no doubt that he is one of the best defensive full-backs in the Premier League.
After a breakthrough season with Crystal Palace in 2018, Wan-Bissaka moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2019 for £50 million. Since then, he has been a regular starter at right-back for the Red Devils and has made over 100 appearances for them in all competitions.
The 23-year-old's pace and athleticism has helped him stop the attackers in their tracks. The England international is often regarded as the toughest one-on-one defender in the Premier League.
The full-back has made 65 successful tackles since the start of last season and has a tackle success rate of 63.72 per cent. This season alone, Wan-Bissaka has made 11 successful tackles so far, with a success rate of a whopping 79 per cent.
If Wan-Bissaka starts to perform consistently on the attacking front as well, then the youngster could certainly go on to become one of the best full-backs in Europe.
#3 Liam Cooper - Leeds United
Leeds United captain Liam Cooper is third on the list of best tacklers in the Premier League right now.
The centre-back, who joined Leeds in 2014, played a key part in their promotion to the Premier League during the 2019-20 season. He also played a major role in the Whites' first Premier League campaign in 16 years, helping the team to a ninth placed finish.
An enigmatic leader and defensive rock at the back for Leeds, Cooper has attempted 87 tackles in the Premier League since the start of last season. He has a success rate of 65.5 per cent, one of the highest in the league during that time.
While Leeds have struggled in the Premier League this season, Cooper has maintained similar levels at the back, registering 12 successful tackles with a success rate of 63 per cent.
Leeds registered their first Premier League win of the campaign last weekend after they defeated Watford at Elland Road. They will certainly be hoping to build on this performance after the international break.
#2 James Ward-Prowse - Southampton
The Saints had a disappointing Premier League campaign last season and are winless so far in the new season. But their skipper James Ward-Prowse has done quite well during this time.
The midfielder has started all of Southampton's Premier League games since the 2019-20 season. He was even awarded Southampton's Fans' Player of the Season award during the last campaign.
Arguably the best set-piece taker in the Premier League, the Englishman scored eight goals and recorded seven assists last season. Notably, all of his seven assists came from set-pieces.
Apart from that, the 26-year-old has also made major contributions in defense for Southampton. He made 75 tackles in the league last season with a success rate of 65 per cent. This season as well, the England international has a tackle success rate of 71 per cent, coming out on top during five of seven tackles so far.
Southampton will be hoping to turn their campaign around soon and Ward-Prowse will definitely have a big say in that.
#1 Yves Bissouma - Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma was one of the breakout stars of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign. The Mali international has been in the Premier League since the 2018-19 season but had only started a combined 32 games in his first two seasons.
Last season, however, he was one of the key players in Graham Potter's side and did a phenomenal job in the middle of the park.
A tough-tackling midfielder, who is comfortable on the ball, Bissouma attempted 104 tackles last season, winning 68 of them and registering a tackle success rate of 65.3 per cent. No other player attempted or won more tackles than the 25-year-old during the time.
The midfielder has won 12 of his 16 tackles so far in the Premier League this season and is one of the key reasons for Brighton's brilliant start.
Bissouma's performances attracted a lot of attention during the summer, especially from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United. However, Brighton managed to keep hold of their prized asset.
Nevertheless, if the midfielder continues to put in such impressive performances, it won't be long before a big club swoops in for the former Lille man.
