The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson said, “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles,” and that can’t be truer than Liverpool‘s historic 2019-20 Premier League campaign.
The Merseyside club let in just 33 goals in the 2019-20 season, and waltzed their way to the title in record time, with seven games to spare.
It will come as no surprise, then, that three of the five defenders on this list are from the Liverpool team. Here, we take a look at the top 5 defenders from the 2019-20 Premier League season:
Top 5 defenders from the 2019-20 Premier League season
#1 Virgil van Dijk
The £75 million that Liverpool paid Southampton to buy central defender Virgil van Dijk seems like a bargain after the big Dutchman helped the Reds to a Champions League and Premier League title in successive years.
The 29-year-old defender had another good season for the Reds, marshalling the defence, and rarely putting a foot wrong.
The towering centre-back was brilliant in the air, winning an average of 5 duels in the air, making 4.3 clearances per game, while also starting attacks with his passing, averaging a whopping 85.8 passes per game in the league. A complete package.
#2 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, took his game to the next level in the 2019-20 season, contributing handsomely in attack.
The English full-back had the second-highest assists tally for the season with 13 assists, while also scoring 4 times.
While he may not be as solid defensively, in a team like Liverpool, where the side holds the ball for long periods in the match, the 21-year old’s inch-perfect passing and crossing are big threats.
#3 Andrew Robertson
On the opposite side, Andrew Robertson also had a phenomenal season. The Scotsman ended the season with 12 assists, using his phenomenal energy and stamina to go up and down the left flank.
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The 26-year-old quick passing and movement in the final third caught out many defences, and with the duo of Robertson and Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have two of the deadliest full-backs in Premier League history.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Manchester United‘s Aaron Wan-Bissaka was impregnable in defence.
The right-back, who moved from Crystal Palace to the Red Devils ahead of the 2019-20 season, kept some of the Premier League’s best attackers at bay, with his dogged tackling. He registered the most number of tackles in the season – 129.
United fans will be hoping that he adds more to his attacking game so that he can be a threat going forward as well.
#5 James Tarkowski
Burnley have yet again surprised everyone by finishing in the top 10, despite not spending a lot in the transfer market ahead of the 2019-20 season. The Clarets finished a respectable 10th in the league.
Their star player of the season was central defender James Tarkowski, who played every minute of the 38 games in the 2019-20 campaign.
The Englishman was unstoppable in the air, winning 5.2 aerial balls per game, while clearing an average of 5.3 balls per game in the league.
His assured style of defending has helped Burnley to a respectable finish, and it won’t be a surprise if a bigger team comes in to sign him in this transfer window.
Stats via Whoscored
