Ranking the 5 Premier League players with the best aerial ability

#3 Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace)

Benteke is a brute of a striker

Christian Benteke has forged a career for himself in the Premier League primarily on his aerial prowess. The Belgian is not only good at winning headers, but also scoring spectacular acrobatic goals.

The Belgian currently has the highest number of headed goals by an active Premier League player with 32. He ranks second on the all-time list behind Peter Crouch. Benteke is also second on the list of aerial duels won with 1851, trailing only Crouch.

The Belgian is built in the same mold as his compatriot Romelu Lukaku. However, Benteke relies more on his aerial ability than the Chelsea striker does.

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#2 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Van Dijk is known for his aerial prowess

A great blend of height, strength, intelligence and leaping ability is what ranks Virgil van Dijk so high on the list. The Dutchman is virtually unbeatable in the air, a characteristic that has made him one of the best defenders in the world.

Standing at 6'4", there are not many players who are taller than Van Dijk in the Premier League. However, it is not just his height that allows him to be so good in the air. The Dutchman's brilliant positioning and ability to read the game helps him beat his opposition and win headers at both ends of the pitch.

Despite only playing in the Premier League since 2015, Van Dijk is already 12th on the list of aerial battles won with 810. The Dutchman is also in the top 50 for headed goals scored, even though he is a center-back.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo's leaping ability is the stuff of legend, helping him score an astonishing 109 headed goals during his storied career.

Ronaldo owes much of his leaping ability to his incredible fitness levels. The forward has put in a lot of time and hard work into building himself into an absolute machine.

Even though he isn't the tallest or strongest player, Ronaldo's leaping ability gives him an edge over most defenders he comes up against. Even at 36, the forward competes for headers with the Premier League's tallest defenders and, more often than not, comes out on top.