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The beautiful game has evolved a lot in terms of the roles and responsibilities of each individual on the pitch. With so many unique styles of play emerging, the managers are looking out for those players who are multi-dimensional and contribute significantly to the team apart from fulfilling their primary role.
Defending is one such area which has seen a major revolution in terms of expectations from the managers. Apart from the essential attributes, the managers are demanding composure on the ball and vision to pick out their team-mates. Let us take a quick look at three of the best ball-playing defenders in the premier league right now.
#1 Virgil van Dijk
The most expensive defender is proving to be worth every penny and has certainly established himself as one of the world's best center-back currently. The Dutch international has been a rock at the back this season and has six clean sheets in the league so far. He is easily one of the most benefited players under Jurgen Klopp, who has helped him to showcase his vision apart from his defensive abilities.
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The Dutchman has shown impressive composure on the ball and has successfully completed 876 passes so far, averaging 73 per game. He has managed to complete 64 accurate long passes which is among the top in the premier league.
#2 David Luiz
While players like Drinkwater and Christensen have struggled to fit into Sarri's system, David Luiz has gained a lot under Sarri and has become an integral part of the Blues' lineup. While David Luiz barely featured under Antonio Conte, the center-back is yet to miss a single minute of premier league this season.
The credit must go to Sarri for helping him to regain his lost confidence and sticking with him since the start of the season. The Brazilian has six clean sheets under his belt and has managed to maintain his discipline on the pitch, earning just a single yellow card so far.
David Luiz has completed 984 passes this season, averaging 84 per game which tells a lot about the 'Sarri-ball' system. His tally of 69 accurate long balls proves that he is one of the key members of the system and it is to be seen whether the Brazilian will continue to impress us with his performances.
#3 Aymeric Laporte
Signed from Athletic Bilbao for a hefty amount of 57 million, Aymeric Laporte suddenly finds himself as a permanent starter among the star-studded City squad. He is another player who is yet to miss a single minute of premier league football which is quite astonishing considering the rotation policy of Pep.
Laporte and Stones have formed a formidable partnership at the back, making it tougher for Otamendi to come back to the starting eleven. The Citizens have kept 7 clean sheets so far, conceding only five goals in the process.
The French international is second in the list of completing most number of passes in the league with 1065 passes, averaging 89 per game. In the 'short-passing' based system of Pep, he has been able to complete 54 long passes which is the highest among his team-mates.
