Checking in: CBs in the dead ball era

Setpieces and low scoring games have made defenders even more important, so who's done the best this season?

What a joy it is to do a ranking in a position where nobody thinks anyone on Arsenal is disappointing.

Quite the opposite, in fact - Gabriel and Saliba aren’t perfect, but they’re probably (definitely?) the league’s best — and probably Europe’s best — CB tandem, and the numbers do appear to back that up. Well done, numbers.

As per usual, things to keep in mind as you read: This is based on stats, and stats aren’t always perfect. I have always encouraged watching the games for yourself rather than creating an entire opinion based off only the numbers. This is at its most true when we’re talking about defensive abilities, so keep that in mind.

The final rank is based on full two-season score, with guys in the top 25 fitting your standard profile for “transfer-friendly age,” which is usually slightly pre-prime.

Okey dokey, let’s get into it!