Premier League: The Most Underrated Player From Each of The 'Big 6'

Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea

Rudiger is arguably the strongest centre-back in the PL

A lot of talk has been going around about Virgil Van Dijk, Toby Alderweireld and Aymeric Laporte, but not many have been noticing the consistency Antonio Rudiger is providing to the Chelsea setup under Maurizio Sarri.

Rudiger is at the heart of Chelsea's defence alongside David Luiz. What needs to be appreciated the most is his ability to shut attacks down and time his tackles to perfection. The manager demands a high defensive line, which is protected by an energetic midfield that presses with a high tempo. Should the midfield lines break, the onus is on Luiz and Rudiger to offer a last-ditch escape.

Next, the German is robust and solid. He might be a little rash with his challenges at times, but Rudiger will not allow his opponent even a blade of space. He closes down players, disallows them to turn and prevents danger quite well.

Another aspect of his game that isn't talked about is his ball-playing abilities. One cannot be a part of a Maurizio Sarri side if they cannot play out of the back with ease. Along with the pass accuracy of 91%, he is extremely comfortable on the ball, even if the defence is being pressed down.

Also to mention, Rudiger can pick the long diagonals with his eagle-eyed vision.