Best Ball-Playing Defenders In The Premier League This Season

Ball-playing defenders are becoming more and more common in the Premier League. It makes sense – it’s generally a better idea to play the ball out from the back, rather than punting it long in the modern game.

With that being said, you need technically-adept defenders to be able to pull this off consistently. We’ve all seen what happens when it goes wrong – it isn’t pretty.

In this list, we’ll be looking at the best ball-playing defenders in the Premier League this season. Only centre-backs will be considered – no full-backs or defensive midfielders will feature (sorry, Declan Rice and Kieran Trippier).

In this piece, we’ll be looking at players from Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Arsenal. Can you guess who made the final cut?

Manuel Akanji

Here’s a name that many would not have expected to see on a list such as this at the beginning of the season. The signing of Manuel Akanji initially raised eyebrows – and not in a good way.

Nevertheless, Akanji has put fears to rest – he hasn’t been one of City’s first-choice centre-backs, but when called upon, he has excelled.

While his defending has been consummate, his ball-playing ability is where he really shines. His range of passing is something to behold – he can turn defence into attack at the drop of hat with his diagonal long balls.

Marc Guehi

Perhaps another surprise inclusion – although, those who have been closely monitoring players’ stats this season (you know who you are) will not be shocked in the slightest to see Marc Guehi on this list.

Crystal Palace have had a middling campaign, complete with a managerial replacement – but Guehi, so far, looks like a very smart piece of business by the Eagles.

The former Chelsea academy graduate is always looking to play the ball forwards – he has completed 203 long passes this season, as well as 1,028 medium-range passes [via FBref].

William Saliba

Arsenal, without William Saliba at the back, have looked relatively ordinary. The towering Frenchman adds so much to the Gunners’ approach, both defensively and going forward.

A composed passer of the ball, Saliba is far superior to his centre-back contemporaries at Arsenal, who often look lost without his talismanic presence.

It’s almost unfathomable that Saliba is just 22 years of age. The young defender has a fruitful future in football – whether it be at Arsenal or elsewhere.

John Stones

Since the 2022 World Cup, John Stones has been one of the best defenders in world football – and, in turn, one of the best ball-playing centre-halves.

Most defenders have a long passing completion rate of around 50%-65%. Not Stones, however – his long passing completion rate stands at 80.3%.

The accuracy of his passing has been quite special this season. Stones is a player who generally relies on confidence and can be inconsistent – but not anymore. Every week, he has turned in special performances which have played a pivotal role in City’s title charge.