Top 3 Premier League Defenders In The Year 2016 – Featuring The Arsenal Commander

The Premier League would pass as the most no-nonsense league in the world, with its physicality and toughness often too much for some new comers to handle and settle down with.

The league parades defenders who are always relentless in their pursuit of guarding the goal with their lives, whilst also non-hesitant to weigh in a fine assist or strike at the other end too.

From full-backs constantly playing as wing-backs to attacking centre-halves, these complete defenders are what makes many teams tick, and here are 3 of such who were spectacularly impressive and stood out of the pack in 2016.

Laurent Koscielny

The 31-year-old French international wasn’t able to help Arsenal to a title after the club had appeared set to beat Leicester City to the prize following a 2-1 victory over the eventual champions earlier in the year in February.

However, he scored 4 goals and helped guide Arsenal to 2nd place in 33 games. Koscielny’s brilliance has continued this term, as he has found the back of the net twice in 18 Premier League appearances in the first half of 2016-17.

The former Ligue 2 bench warmer averaged 10 defensive actions per 90 minutes, won 26 tackles, made 51 interceptions – 4th highest, 116 clearances and 13 blocks within that time frame. Only 3 defenders won more aerial battles than Koscielny (69), and he was a very big reason Arsenal got better at the back, conceding 15 goals in the 18 games he played.

The centre-half is regarded as one of the best in the Premier League, and his leadership abilities helped the team as he was captain for a larger chunk of the year with Per Mertesacker consistently sidelined.

Koscielny was definitely top 3 last year, and it’s hard to argue he wasn’t the number 1.

Virgil van Dijk

Dijk arrived from Celtic in the summer of 2015, and was influential as the Saints finished in 6th place – their highest ever, under the now-departed Koeman.

A lot of Premier League clubs were in search of a reliable centre-half at the end of the season, but not many keenly pursued their interests in the 25-year-old despite the fact that he averaged 11 defensive actions per 90 minutes, won 73% of his aerial duels and take-ons, and 58% of his tackles. He also proved handy at the other end, scoring thrice and weighing in 9 chances in 34 games.

That has since changed, as Dijk is now the most sought after defender in the Premier League, with the top clubs interested in securing a switch this month as Dijk’s brilliance at the heart of Southampton defence has continued.

The Netherlands international played every league game of the first half of the season for the Saint Mary’s outfit, averaging 10 defensive actions per game, winning 90 aerial duels – the most of any defender, making 50 interceptions – the 5th highest, 129 clearances – 9th highest and 14 blocks. He has a goal and has created 5 chances.

Southampton entered 2017 sitting in 9th position, and this man was a huge reason for that decent start to the campaign despite a transition in the manager. No doubt, 2016 saw a new defending talent emerge in the Premier League in Virgil van Dijk, and 2017 can only be better for this tough player.

Kyle Walker

Tottenham showed how useful full-backs can be, with the duo of Walker and Rose constituting a huge part of Spurs attack since the 2015-16 campaign and occasionally playing in wing-back role.

Earlier in the year, the north London club looked to engage Leicester City in a tight end-of-the-campaign title race, only to fall with few games to go. They have since put that behind them, and sat in 5th place entering into 2017 after a fine start to the new season.

And without any iota of doubt, Kyle Walker has played an impressive part of that run that saw them lose just twice in the first 19 Premier League games played in 2016.

The English international only failed to make an appearance in those games having picked up 5 yellow cards, but only a defender created more chances than the 27 – the right-back made in the first half of the campaign.

Walker averaged 6 defensive actions per game, won 55% of his tackles, 65% of his headed duels and completed 58% of his take-ons. Those numbers are comparable to last term’s when he averaged 7 defensive actions per 90 minutes, won 58% of his tackles, 66% of his headed duels and completed 39% of his take-ons. He created 34 chances in 33 games and scored once.