{"id":1302733,"date":"2023-03-28T15:08:57","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1302733"},"modified":"2023-03-28T15:08:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:08:57","slug":"premier-league-best-centre-back-partnerships-right-now","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/premier-league-best-centre-back-partnerships-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranked: The best centre-back partnerships in the Premier League right now"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, to Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, the Premier League has been home to some fantastic centre-back partnerships over the years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This season is no exception, and while some of the pairings may not be as illustrious as a Terry-Carvalho combo, they are forging pretty successful on-field relationships to neutralise the game’s most-feared frontlines. And we wanted to assess those defensive duos to establish the best ones in the Premier League right now<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We should stress that while some of these pairings haven\u2019t existed consistently throughout the campaign for various reasons (be it injury, or a manager’s habit for formation changes), they have appeared on multiple occasions and would probably be their manager’s first choice if there were no extenuating circumstances.<\/p>\n

6. Lewis Dunk x <\/strong>Adam Webster<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Brighton have been hugely impressive this season, generating plaudits largely for their slick passing patterns, fluid attacking play and frictionless football. But spare a thought for their defensive work too, with Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster forming an impressive shield at the back to see the Seagulls concede just 31 goals, which is the sixth-best defensive record in the league this term.<\/p>\n

Aggressive, tenacious and robust, the duo have worked well in tandem to keep clean sheets this term against Liverpool, Newcastle United and a shutout double over West Ham. But they are also so important to the way Roberto De Zerbi wants his side to play football, a notion supported by Dunk’s 2,146 attempted passes this season. Man City midfielder Rodri is the only other player to have surpassed the 2,000-mark in that regard.<\/p>\n

5. Virgil van Dijk x Ibrahima Konate<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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There was a time when even the great escapologist Harry Houdini would have failed to evade Virgil van Dijk’s grasp. Now, there seems to be an aura of vulnerability about Liverpool’s backline, when it once seemed impenetrable. Still, as the old adage goes, \u2018form is temporary, class is permanent\u2019, and Van Dijk still carries an imposing reputation. When stationed alongside a consistent partner, the Dutchman is one of the best at reading the game and has a recovery pace that would put an Olympic sprinter to shame.<\/p>\n

It remains an impressive feat that although Liverpool have struggled immeasurably by their standards this campaign, they have still only conceded 29 Premier League goals, one of only five clubs to not hit the 30-shipped mark. Some may put that down to Alisson’s point-saving antics between the sticks, with the Brazilian often proving a get-out-of-jail-free card, but it’s probably no surprise that a recent spike in clean sheets has coincided with Ibrahima Konate’s return. If he can stay fit, Liverpool have a very intimidating back-two.<\/p>\n

4. Lisandro Martinez x Raphael Varane<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Man Utd were mocked and derided at the start of the season for signing at 5ft 8in centre-back, but Lisandro Martinez has brought the kind of grit and hard-nosed rough-housing that has made him an instant hero on the Old Trafford terraces. Pre-Martinez, Raphael Varane often looked a shadow of the defensive bulwark who marshalled Real Madrid\u2019s backline to four Champions Leagues, but alongside the Argentine, he has looked much more assured and confident.<\/p>\n

It takes a lot of front and determination to bounce back from a 7-0 drubbing to keep a clean sheet, but that’s exactly what Martinez and Varane did against Southampton following their Anfield capitulation. That humbling aside, Man Utd’s latest defensive partnership looks a very promising one, with the duo slick with their distribution, aggressive against on-rushing attackers and vocal to keep their team-mates focused.<\/p>\n\n

3. Ruben Dias x <\/strong>Manuel Akanji<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Given that Pep Guardiola has embraced a tactical-tombola approach this season, it’s difficult to establish a consistent centre-back partnership that he has utilised, particularly with the Catalan switching to a back-three at various stages. However, in recent games, he has paired Ruben Dias alongside Manuel Akanji in a standard back-four, and they’ve delivered successive clean sheets as a result.<\/p>\n

It may be a case now that Guardiola sticks rather than twists. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and the Dias-Akanji pairing has muzzled and defanged the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Alexander Isak in recent weeks. If City are genuinely going to push Arsenal all the way in the Premier League title charge and potentially usurp them at the summit, then a stable centre-back partnership will be required, and the Dias-Akanji combo looks good value for that.<\/p>\n

2. Sven Botman x Fabian Schar<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Only one club has conceded fewer than 20 goals in the Premier League this season, and that is Newcastle. The Magpies have sought to fast-track their ascent to the top of English football following their Saudi-led takeover in 2021 by trying to break the glass ceiling this term. Eddie Howe’s men have been penetrating in the final third, authoritative in the middle of the park, and watertight at the back, thanks in no small part to the partnership of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar.<\/p>\n

Together, the duo have helped Newcastle keep a league-high 12 clean sheets, while also being the only club this season to prevent league leaders Arsenal from scoring at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta’s men have fired a blank just twice all season, and one of those came against Newcastle. The Tynesiders have also kept a lid on Chelsea, Man Utd and Brighton. With all the flicks and tricks of Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Co. going forward, Botman and Schar bring a firmness and no-nonsense resilience to balance Howe’s tactical broth.<\/p>\n

1. Gabriel Magalhaes x William Saliba<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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What was it Sir Alex Ferguson used to say? \u2018Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.\u2019 Well, for all the good work Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have been doing going forward, the consistency and resilience Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have brought to the back has truly elevated Mikel Arteta’s side to heights they perhaps didn’t think were possible. As a pairing, Gabriel and Saliba are unmatched in the Premier League this season.<\/p>\n

Arsenal’s 12 clean sheets is a league-high alongside Newcastle, while Gabriel is the highest-scoring centre-back this season with three goals, two of which proved match-winning, in a 2-1 victory against Fulham and the 1-0 triumph over Chelsea. In terms of consistency, reliability and availability, they have been as good as it gets this season. And if Arsenal do go on to win the Premier League, they will have these two to thank for being nigh-on impenetrable for much of the campaign.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n