{"id":1175765,"date":"2020-11-16T16:45:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T16:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1175765"},"modified":"2020-11-16T11:15:29","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T11:15:29","slug":"best-centre-back-units-premier-league","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/best-centre-back-units-premier-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Premier League team can claim the best centre-back unit now Liverpool don’t have one?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Defence is a crucial part of any team’s success.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While full-backs are all the rage these days, the core of a side’s defence remains the centre-backs and, specifically, their partnership with each other. The way centre-backs perform together is just as important as the attacking chemistry.<\/p>\n

Whether it’s a back two or a back three, the centre-back partnership is utterly essential. We’ve rounded up the very best in the Premier League right now into two tiered lists, one for two-man partnerships and another for three-man units. These partnerships and units will be taken as they currently are, or will be soon enough (so Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez’s long-term injuries will preclude Liverpool from making an appearance atop the two-man list). Disagree with any of our picks? Let us know on Twitter<\/a> or Facebook<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Centre-back partnerships:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

B Tier:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

James Tarkowski and Ben Mee (Burnley)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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James Tarkowski and Ben Mee were a legendary duo at the back for Burnley, uncomplicated but undoubtedly effective but we’ve barely seen them this season due to the latter’s recovery from a thigh injury. Without their magnificent pair at the back, the Clarets had kept just one clean sheet all season. However, in Mee’s first game back they shut Brighton down and with their all-star duo back, Burnley will look to climb up the table again.<\/p>\n

Jan Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard (Southampton)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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With Ralph Hasenhuttl at the helm, Southampton have become a fascinating team to watch and a huge part of that is Jan Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard. The pair are massive (Vestergaard especially so), dominating both in the air and on the ground; helping Saints to fourth with just two defeats and 12 goals conceded so far (with half those goals coming in two bizarre games against Aston Villa and Chelsea). In fact, Saints have kept four clean sheets in their last six games, the joint-most in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

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William Hill\u2019s 2020\/21\u00a0<\/span>Premier League top-four odds:<\/strong><\/h2>\n