The English Premier League is home to some of the best attack-minded defenders in the world. From high-flying fullbacks to towering center-backs, these defenders know how to exploit their contemporaries and find the back of the net. Today, we will take a look at a few formidable defenders who have proven notoriously difficult to mark. Here are the top five defenders who have recorded the most goals involvements (goals + assists) in the English top flight over the last six seasons.
#5 Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur/Newcastle United): 30 Goal Involvements
Newcastle United captain Kieran Trippier is kicking off this list, having recorded five goals and 25 assists in the Premier League. Between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, Trippier has played 120 games in the English top flight over the last six seasons.
Trippier was at Tottenham between the 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons. He played 69 Premier League matches for the Lilywhites, scoring twice and providing 14 assists. The England international spent the following two-and-a-half seasons of his career at Atletico Madrid before returning to England with Newcastle United in January 2022. He has since played 69 games for the Magpies, recording 4 goals and 17 assists.
#4 Lucas Digne (Everton/Aston Villa): 31 Goal Involvements
Former France international Lucas Digne left Barcelona permanently for Everton in July 2018. He has since learned the ways of English soccer, emerging as one of the most prolific in the division. Over the last five years, Digne has played 186 Premier League games, scoring six times and providing 25 assists. Digne scored four times and provided 18 assists in 113 games for Everton between 2018-19 and 2021-22 (January) before signing for Aston Villa. The 30-year-old has bagged two goals and seven assists in 73 games for Unai Emery’s team.
Digne, a two-time Ligue 1 winner with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is still searching for his first silverware in England.
#3 Marcos Alonso (Chelsea): 31 Goals Involvements
In distant third, we have former Chelsea full-back, Marcos Alonso. The Barcelona defender played 123 Premier League matches for the Blues between 2017-18 and 2021-22 seasons, recording 19 goals and 12 assists. In all competitions, the Spaniard played 212 games for the Pensioners, scoring 29 times and providing 20 assists.
Alonso, who is set to leave Barcelona in the summer, won it all for the west London outfit. He won the Premier League in 2016-17, the UEFA Champions League in 2020-21, the UEFA Europa League in 2018-19, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021-22 amongst other honors.
#2 Andy Robertson (Liverpool): 63 Goal Involvements
One of the best left-backs in the world, Andy Robertson, moved to Liverpool from Hull City in July 2017. Since his switch, he has played 215 matches for the 19-time English champions in the Premier League, scoring eight times and claiming 55 assists. Robertson fired on all cylinders to propel Liverpool to their 19th English top-flight title, recording two goals and 12 assists in 36 games.
Robertson, who sees his contract expire in June 2026, has played 294 games in total for the Reds across competitions, bagging nine goals and 65 assists. In addition to the Premier League title, Robertson has won a UEFA Champions League, an FA Cup, and two Carabao Cups with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
#1 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool): 73 Goal Involvements
At the summit sits Liverpool‘s high-flying full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, having amassed 15 goals and 58 assists in 215 Premier League games since the start of the 2017-18 seasons. In total, Alexander-Arnold has played 306 for the Merseyside outfit in all competitions, scoring 19 times and claiming 81 assists.
The England international enjoyed his best-ever campaign in the Premier League in the 2019-20 campaign. Appearing in all 38 games that season, Alexander-Arnold chipped in with four goals and 13 assists, helping the Reds to their 19th league title.
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