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#3 Thiago Silva - Chelsea
Eyebrows were raised when Chelsea announced Thiago Silva's signing. At 36 years of age, he was expected to be plying his trade in a league that was not as demanding as the Premier League. The Brazilian, however, showed why he is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation by proving that age is just a number.
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Silva and Chelsea truly struggled in the first half of the season, but once Thomas Tuchel switched to a back three, it was a match made in heaven. Marshaling the three-man defense from the middle, Silva has played in 40 matches for Chelsea in all competitions in 2021, keeping 20 clean sheets in those. Thiago Silva has excelled in the Premier League since the turn of the year.
Since losing his pace and explosive power, the veteran has improved his reading of the game and understanding to help suit the rigors of the Premier League. As far as central defenders in the Premier League go, Thiago Silva was certainly one of the top names in 2021.
#2 Ruben Dias- Manchester City
Signed by Manchester City to help them wrest power back from Liverpool in the Premier League, Ruben Dias has settled into City's defense perfectly. The 24-year-old Portuguese centre-back played a starring role for the Cityzens in 2021.
Dias is a constant in the Manchester City defense, with John Stones and Aymeric Laporte rotating to play alongside him. He has played in 50 matches since the turn of the year for Manchester City and helped them keep clean sheets in 27 of those matches.
Dias was named as the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Year in 2021 and was voted as the 26th best player in the world. He was also the Premier League Player of the Season in 2020-21. The Portuguese defender has been a rock for Manchester City and is rightly one of the current best Premier League defenders.
#1 Antonio Rudiger- Chelsea
After struggling for minutes and almost getting sold by Chelsea under Frank Lampard, the arrival of Thomas Tuchel proved to be a turning point for Antonio Rudiger. The German defender was tailor-made for Tuchel's three-man defense system and fit in like a glove.
Rudiger was a pivotal part of Tuchel's defensive set-up that claimed European glory in the UEFA Champions League. Rudiger has appeared in 52 matches for Chelsea since the turn of the year and helped the side keep 30 clean sheets. The defender was nominated for the UEFA Defender of the Year award in 2021 on top of his exploits in the Premier League.
Despite an ongoing contract stand-off with his club, Rudiger has continued to deliver top class performances for Chelsea in the Premier League and other competitions.
