There may have been plenty of high scoring games, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some immensely impressive defenders in the Premier League so far this season.
From those that have been rock solid at the back, to those that have dazzled at the other end of the pitch, plenty have caught the eye.
Here’s who we think are the best at the moment.
Eric Dier has been the best-performing player in Tottenham’s backline so far this season, impressing in the centre of Antonio Conte’s back three.
His performance in their 1-0 win over Brighton was good enough to get him into our top 10.
Playing in the defence that has conceded the joint-fewest goals of any team, Conor Cody has made a fine start to life at Everton.
He got on the scoresheet against Southampton, but it’s his excellent defensive work that gets him on this list.
He’s made headlines off the pitch for his remarkable maths abilities, but Manuel Akanji has been just as good on it since joining Manchester City.
He has deputised for both Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker at centre-back and right-back, and has been excellent in both positions.
Newcastle have one of the best defensive records in the league, and that’s largely down to Fabian Schar. The 30-year-old has been imperious at the centre of defence.
Even with Chelsea signing Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva has remained the best centre-back at the club.
While those around him have been shaky at times, the 38-year-old has produced a number of excellent performances.
Crystal Palace’s start to the season hasn’t been good, but it would be even worse if not for Joachim Andersen.
The Dane has comfortably been their best player, with his defensive work and ability on the ball being invaluable for Patrick Vieira’s side.
Reece James has arguably been Chelsea’s player of the season so far, making an impact at both ends of the pitch.
The wing-back has bagged a goal, an assist and has created a number of chances, but he has also performed his defensive duties well.
He continued his strong start to the season against Wolves with a solid performance off the bench.
Many thought we’d seen the best of Kieran Trippier when he left Tottenham in 2019, but that hasn’t been the case.
The full-back has been excellent at both ends of the pitch since joining Newcastle and has surely secured his spot in the World Cup squad as a result.
It’s through no fault of his own that he drops down a place, with him impressing and getting an assist against Brentford.
Only one full-back has been better than Trippier this season and it’s not a surprise who it is, with Cancelo continuing to dazzle at Manchester City.
Perhaps his best moment – a glorious assist for Erling Haaland – came in the Champions League, but he has been excellent domestically too, often running the show as an inverted wing-back.
He did just that at the weekend against Southampton, getting a goal and an assist.
Arsenal’s defence was generally good last season, but William Saliba has taken it to the next level since returning from Marseille.
With the exception of an unlucky own goal, the Frenchman has been flawless at the back, so good in fact that he’s convinced Mikel Arteta to reshuffle the whole backline to fit him in, moving Ben White to right-back.
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