In football, the offence is the part of the game that gets talked about more often than not, as many people find it more exciting to watch than purely defending. However, both sides of the sport are as important as the other, so defenders also deserve recognition.

The 2020s have been a time when defenders have reached great heights similar to attackers. It is a great moment for the top defenders as they have earned recognition for their contributions to their clubs and countries.

Have a look at some of the best defenders in this decade: 

5. Rúben Dias (Manchester City and Portugal)

After joining Manchester City in 2020 from Benfica, Rúben Dias has become one of the world’s best defenders. He is a key figure for Man City, as they have dominated English and European football. Dias�?best strength is his leadership for the defence since he is stable to lead that backline. 

At the same time, Dias is also a composed defender, who does not get rattled by pressure. Even if the opponent’s forwards are trying to pressure and throw him off his game, Dias remains a cool cucumber when playing. He helps the team play with more confidence because of his composure under pressure and how he organises the surrounding defence.

Pep Guardiola is known by a large part of the football world as the best manager. The Spanish manager has always trusted Dias to be an influential leader who takes charge of setting up the Man City system properly.

4. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool and England)

In football history, there are only a few full-backs that are as influential as Trent Alexander-Arnold. Of course, the knock against Trent is his weakness to his primary task, defending. Alexander-Arnold is not the best at defending, but he is elite in almost every other area. 

Trent is most known for his contributions to the attack as he has a wide passing range. He can pick out almost every player on the pitch with the accurate yet powerful crosses he sends into the box, but he also has a sense for the weight of his through-ball passes.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah should credit Trent for helping him succeed as a player since a lot of his goals have come from Trent's assists or key passes. Set pieces are also a big part of Alexander-Arnold's style, as he can curve a ball into the box through corner kicks and free-kicks. 

3. William Saliba (Arsenal and France)

The youngest defender in the top five, William Saliba is a special talent. He has the body to compete with almost any top attacker as he is built like a brick wall and is arguably the most composed defender.

Every time he gets pressured by an attacker, he just does a dribble move that leaves fans in the stadium impressed. Saliba is also an excellent passer, as he typically starts the attack by finding a good pass to his teammates like Martin Ødegaard or Declan Rice for Arsenal and French teammates such as Aurélien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. 

Since he is playing for Arsenal, he also has opportunities to score quite regularly due to their exquisite set-piece play. Saliba’s only weakness is his lacklustre aerial ability, but he is learning well by playing alongside his Arsenal teammate Gabriel Magalhães, who is arguably the best header of the ball. 

The partnership consists of him and Gabriel, and they can challenge each other to become the best partnership in the world, while Saliba will likely remain the standout between the duo. 

Saliba is still in his early 20s, so he has room to grow and become even better than the two players above him. He is only getting started and could be the clear-cut best defender in the long run.

2. Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid and Germany)

Antonio Rüdiger is one of the most aggressive players in his position as he always finds tackles to get the ball back. That fearlessness makes him a formidable defender since his pressure and strength make them uncomfortable. 

He is a key cog for Real Madrid, Germany, and former club Chelsea. Since he is an essential part of his new club, he continues to outshine everyone, making him a vital piece of their defensive setup, leadership, and overall morale. 

The club knows that having Rüdiger in the back helps the players since they know they have a mad dog manning the backline. When it comes to instilling fear into their opponents, Rüdiger is likely the worst player to go against as he makes forwards�?lives miserable. 

The combination of mind games and physical dominance discourages attackers from trying. With Rüdiger as the central defender for Real Madrid, he can make any opponent uncomfortable, which is vital for the club’s success.

1. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool and Netherlands) 

Virgil van Dijk has been the best defender in the world for almost a decade due to his success for Liverpool. He is a skilled defender as he can make some pinpoint passes to his forwards while dominating the opposing forwards with his body.

In the air, there is no one better than van Dijk as he always finds a way to win his duels through sheer physicality and athleticism. Virgil is also a recognised leader for Liverpool and the Netherlands, which means he is a vital cog in how the teams work. 

With this list of the top football defenders, Virgil still holds the crown as the greatest. Along with rising stars like Pau Cubarsí and Dean Huijsen, the defending side of the sport is in good hands.

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So far, the 2024-25 season has been a rollercoaster for Liverpool FC and their fans. They are running away with the Premier League, but have been bounced out of every competition outside of it. It is impressive that they are set to win the English top flight, but not as striking when looking at their overall performances.

They have become more reliant on their star players, particularly Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All these players are out of contract in the summer of 2025, but the hometown kid Trent might be the biggest departure for the team. Find out more about how Trent could be the club’s biggest loss in the summer.

Almost everything goes through Trent

Even though he’s a right-back, Trent has become a crucial part of the Liverpool system. He is not the best at defending his opponents, but he is always dangerous when it comes to his offensive contributions. He arguably has the best passing range out of any player in the world of football. 

Alexander-Arnold can pop up with an assist against any kind of defence because of his passing range and boldness to send the ball into dangerous areas. He and Mo Salah have combined for all kinds of goals throughout their seven-year stint as teammates. 

At the same time, Trent is also a difference-maker when it comes to playing against settled defences. With a simple cross or ball over the top, Trent can unlock Liverpool’s attacking firepower, arguably the best in the world due to players like Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Núñez, and Salah.

Bradley is a good player, but not the perfect replacement

If Trent does not re-sign with Liverpool, the obvious choice to replace him at right-back is Conor Bradley. The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international is a talented player, but he does not possess the same qualities as the kid who grew up in Merseyside. 

Bradley is more of a traditional full-back compared to Trent, which makes him a more natural fit for most systems. However, he is not a game-breaker like Trent, who can make a good pass that wins the game for LFC. Bradley is the better defender, but the ceiling is not as high when compared to Alexander-Arnold.

Trent might be headed to Real Madrid

When Real Madrid knocks on a player’s door, it would be foolish to ignore them. Los Blancos is the world’s most successful football club, and if they are intent on getting a player, they will most likely get them. Trent has been on their radar for a long while, and with the right-back running down his contract, it could be another free transfer coup for Real.

They already made the same approach with Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, so they could get another superstar in their hands with Trent. He does not fit the usual Madrid superstar, but he is a transcendent talent who goes beyond his position as a right-back. 

Liverpool have a problem on their hands

Trent is arguably the biggest loss for Liverpool in the summer, but that could change if both Virgil and Salah also run down their contracts. They have all been superb for the Reds, delivering a Premier League title in 2020 and a Champions League trophy in 2019. They are also the likely winners of the 2024-25 EPL title, which would be a great end to an era.

However, considering that Trent is only 26 and the other two are still performing at a high level, this could be disastrous for LFC. Their three building blocks are likely out of the door, but at least, they are giving them a trophy on their way out. We will never know until they re-sign, or their contracts expire, but it’s not looking good.

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Virgil van Dijk claimed that Abdoulaye Doucoure from Everton stirred up Liverpool fans after a tense Merseyside match turned chaos when James Tarkowski scored a late equaliser. Liverpool was ahead 2-1, poised to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League by nine points in their game on February 12, 2025.

This was until Tarkowski netted in the eighth minute of added time, creating a thrilling finish to the final match at Goodison Park. Doucoure was spotted celebrating in front of Liverpool fans, which led to Curtis Jones pushing him and a brawl between players from both teams.

Referee Michael Oliver showed both Doucoure and Jones their second yellow cards, sending them off. Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also dismissed.

’We saw how they celebrated the goal, they have all the right to. I think Abdoulaye Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans, I think that is what I saw and Curtis Jones didn't think it was the right thing to do. And then you know what happens if there is a little tussle�? Reds captain Van Dijk said.

Van Dijk also believed that the referee struggled to manage the game, which affected both teams because they faced the same challenges. For many, this felt like a cup final. He also noted that the referee played a key role, pointing out that some challenges were called fouls while others were not.

What happened at the end?

After Tarkowski's great late goal tied the match, Doucoure walked over to the away fans and was caught on camera making a shushing sign. Liverpool's substitute Jones stepped in, leading to a big clash between players from both teams. A bottle was also thrown into the mix.

Stewards finally stepped in to break it up, and referee Oliver issued second yellow cards to both Doucoure and Jones. The excitement continued when Liverpool coach Slot and assistant coach Hulshoff received red cards for expressing their thoughts to the refs.

Shortly after Tarkowski’s equaliser, Slot was seen waving his arms to imply there was a foul before the goal. Former Liverpool player Steve McManaman called it ‘silly�?for Doucoure to provoke the Liverpool fans.

‘Abdoulaye Doucoure had 37,000 of his own fans to go and celebrate in front of. To go and antagonise the Liverpool fans was a silly decision. It was only going to end one way�? McManaman said.

Ex-Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand believes engaging with rival fans isn't wrong. He also shared that in some games, playful teasing happens. 

Meanwhile, Everton's coach, David Moyes, felt upset about losing Doucoure in the match against Crystal Palace. He noted that Doucoure had played well before his second yellow card, leading to a red. 

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