Roles and influence of top PL defensive midfielders compared

The Premier League is blessed with some of the world’s finest defensive midfielders this season.

Recent signings Casemiro and Enzo Fernandez have supplemented an all-star cast that already includes players such as Thomas Partey, Rodri, and Declan Rice.

Here, Adrian Clarke compares their roles and influences.

Thomas Partey (Arsenal)

Premier League leaders Arsenal are enjoying an outstanding campaign, and so is their influential Ghanaian midfield anchor.

Partey is largely the single pivot anchor of a three-man midfield, but when Arsenal build from deep, left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko routinely joins him to make a pair.

This often alleviates the issue of an opposition striker or attacking midfielder effectively man-marking Partey.

At times last season blocking passes into Partey rendered him ineffective, forcing Mikel Arteta’s defenders to hit a greater number of hopeful, longer passes. 

Zinchenko’s forays infield create a ‘box midfield’ with Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard pushed on ahead of them – and as a unit they have regularly controlled the engine room.

Operating to the right of centre, Partey’s progressive distribution benefits Bukayo Saka and Odegaard most. These two players are usually his first port of call.

The Arsenal star’s athleticism also sets him apart from other players in his position.

Boasting an impressive top speed of 34.5km/hr, he can provide excellent cover when rival teams attempt to launch counter attacks, racing across to cut off breakaways. 

For this reason, Arteta is not afraid to commit extra bodies forward when they have opponents pinned back.

When deputy Jorginho plays in this role the Gunners cannot afford to let matches become as stretched because the Italian does not cover the ground anywhere near as effectively.

Midfielder top speed averages 2022/23

One other key feature of Partey’s make-up, aside from his ball recoveries and quick feet in tight areas, is an ability to force turnovers inside the opposition half.

Despite playing as the defensive midfielder, when he sees an opportunity to sprint forward to intercept or make a tackle, he will not hesitate.

Partey’s authoritative displays have been superb to watch in 2022/23.

Rodri (Manchester City)

Rodri is the glue that knits Pep Guardiola’s starting XI together, and the Spaniard has been in terrific form again this season.

While City do slide a full-back into central midfield to form a double pivot on occasion, he is usually the sole defensive midfielder within the team.

In possession the 26-year-old is undoubtedly the most dominant deep-lying playmaker in the division.

Everything seems to go through the Spain international, who has made over 400 more successful passes inside the opposition half than any other top-flight midfielder.

Midfielder passes in opp. half 2022/23

Rodri is very much an all-rounder too.  

No midfielder who has made at least 15 starts can top the number of occasions he regains possession per 90 minutes (9.75).

This is an exceptional stat when you consider he plays for a Manchester City outfit that spends so much of each encounter in control of the ball themselves.

Midfielder possession won 2022/23

Like Partey, and because his side usually spend long spells deep inside opposition territory, Rodri is also very skilled at stepping forward to turn the ball over in advanced areas.

This map below shows where he has won his tackles this season, with plenty of them high up field.

While the bulk of Rodri’s touches are fairly metronomic, moving the ball on quickly and simply to teammates, his long-range passing can also be destructive.

Four of his five Premier League assists in 2022/23 have stemmed from switches of play that he has made from left to right.

His eye for an accurate diagonal is up there with the very best, as he displayed in this clip, assisting Riyad Mahrez for a goal in a 4-0 win at home to Southampton.

Casemiro (Manchester United)

Manchester United are a significantly better side when summer signing Casemiro is available for selection.

Their squad has been short of a world class defensive midfielder for several years now, but the Brazil international has filled the void brilliantly.

Providing a more solid platform, his strong defensive nous has helped Erik ten Hag’s attackers to thrive.

He was outstanding in United’s Carabao Cup Final victory against Newcastle United, scoring and breaking up play with aplomb.

Man Utd’s top-flight record, with and without Casemiro starting, also makes for very interesting reading too.

Man Utd with/without Casemiro

This data tells us David De Gea faces around six fewer shots per match when the combative former Real Madrid man starts.

Unsurprisingly, this has had an extremely positive impact on results.

Casemiro passes well, but compared to the likes of Rodri, Partey, Rice and Fernandez, he does not offer as much game-changing distribution.

Instead, his strength lies in positional discipline, a superb reading of the game, and a fierce determination to defend.

Marrying intelligence with a high level of in-built tenacity, the only Premier League regular (15 starts) to win more tackles or duels per 90 minutes than Casemiro is Fulham’s Joao Palhinha.

Midfielder top speed averages 2022/23

*min 15 starts

Declan Rice (West Ham United)

West Ham United captain Rice is viewed by many as a natural defensive pivot, but in truth he plays on the left side of a midfield two, usually alongside Tomas Soucek.

Most of Rice's involvements in possession are to the left of centre, as shown on his heat map from their recent 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Out of possession Rice tucks into a narrower position, where he regularly drops between the Hammers’ central defenders to repel danger,

Compared to the likes of Partey, Rodri and Chelsea new-boy Fernandez, the England international certainly spends far longer defending his 18-yard box.

David Moyes’ side average just 43 per cent of possession, regularly sitting 10 or 11 men behind the ball.

For this reason, Rice works in tighter, more congested spaces when breaking up play.

He is an expert at recovering possession, regaining the ball 232 times this season, a figure that is second only to the 243 of Rodri.

His total of 40 interceptions made is the joint-second most interceptions too.

Statistically, Rice is also the toughest defensive midfielder in the Premier League to beat with a dribble.

Excellent at waiting for the right time to make a challenge and quick across the turf, forwards rarely carry the ball past Rice.

Players dribbled past 2022/23

Within West Ham's tactical framework, and because Rice has so much to offer, he is also asked to contribute more on the attacking front than most defensive midfielders.

Operating as a box-to-box player at times, he has created 26 chances from open play.

Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen are the only team-mates to have carved out more key passes.

Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)

Chelsea paid a record British transfer fee to bring the World Cup winner to Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old is a central midfield quarterback who wants to use his quality passing range to help the side.

Now that flying full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell have returned from injury Graham Potter’s side should begin to see the full benefit of his distribution.

Last time out against Everton he picked out both with a number of long-range passes.

Of all the elite defensive midfielders featured, it is the Argentinian who shines brightest when it comes to delivering accurate long passes.

Chelsea will want to play through the lines under Potter, but Fernandez’s vision and technique provides them with more ability now to go from defence to attack with a single ball.

Passing accuracy averages 2022/23

As we saw at the FIFA World Cup finals 2022, Fernandez is a hostile and aggressive tackler.

In Premier League action he currently averages 2.1 successful tackles per 90 minutes, the fourth-highest in the division.

No midfielder to have featured for a minimum seven starts has been dribbled past by an opponent with greater frequency than his total of 2.88 per match.

This is an area Fernandez will look to improve on for the remainder of the season.

All-round excellence

The standards being set by these five top-class defensive midfielders are high.

Other talents such as Palhinha, Bruno Guimaraes, Moises Caicedo, Christian Norgaard, Romeo Lavia and Hojbjerg are also enjoying terrific campaigns too.

With this elite quintet, there is a rounded quality to each of them.

They are all capable of beating opponents with a dribble of their own, and between them they have contributed nine league goals and 12 assists.

Modern day defensive pivots are no longer expected to merely patrol the area in front of their central defenders, and keep things simple.

The best in the business are classy all-round footballers who offer that and a lot, lot more.

See: How Phil Hingston is guiding Palace's next generation