Manchester United ran riot Sunday afternoon with a 4-0 win over West Ham to open their Premier League season. Fans and pundits alike pointed to the addition of Nemanja Matic as the final piece of the puzzle, the one that made all the others fit. After the match, Sky Sports tweeted asking whether Nemanja Matic is the Premier League’s best defensive midfielder. This prompted an outcry of support for the likes of Jordan Henderson, N’Golo Kante and Mousa Dembele from each players respective fan bases. Although they are all great players, they are all very different. What fans want to know is simply: who is the best?
The Defensive Midfielder Conundrum
Evaluating defensive midfielders is a difficult task. More important than individual attributes is how they fit into the system. For example, Michael Carrick was a pivotal character at Manchester United last season. His passing range allowed them to build through midfield, while his strong positional sense offered balance to their midfield. However, his lack of mobility was of huge detriment to his role. Cue Nemanja Matic’s arrival and you have a quietly terrific fit. Matic has a much better passing range than people give him credit for. Mostly due to his pairing with Fabregas at Chelsea, who was tasked with distributing the ball, he has a reputation as a defensive juggernaut. Matic offers the same calming influence and passing ability, but with better mobility and defensive involvement. This makes Matic a good fit and it will be no surprise when a Pogba/Matic combination dominate Premier League midfields this season.
This is not to say that individual player strengths do not matter. Matic still looked very good in a 2 man midfield that limited his positional strengths. He also still looked good despite playing in a system that favored transitional attacking play, which is not his strength. But a good player in the right system can be a great one.
The Idea of Fit
N’Golo Kante
You can extend this idea of fit even further, why has N’Golo Kante been earth shattering at both Chelsea and Leicester while being thoroughly underwhelming with France? The answer is fit. Both Chelsea and Leicester predicated their game on defensive resolve and strong transition play. Kante was tasked with lots of defensive action (tackles, interceptions, duels) and covering ground in transition. Things he is very good at. With France, his role becomes more about ball retention.
Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson is another example. Under Brendan Rodgers he was a good player. He completed 82% of his passes, he had six goals and nine assists, he had reasonable defensive numbers. He was good. Under Klopp, his role changed. He has become much more of a cover and balance in midfield. He completes 30 more passes a match, with a higher success rate. His goal involvement is down, but his defensive action numbers are almost twice as high. Henderson is now one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premier League. His mobility to jump in on the press, while reading the game in transition is crucial to Liverpool’s set up.
Mousa Dembele
Mousa Dembele is another example. His defensive contributions are good but not great for a defensive midfielder (2.1 tackles, 0.8 interceptions per 90). His attacking numbers are almost non-existent, but Dembele is arguably one of Tottenham’s best players. He averages almost three dribbles a match from center midfield, which is very high. His pass completion percentage is 92% as well. Dembele is Tottenham’s midfield metronome and press breaker. He plays few risky passes, few long balls, but almost always keeps the ball. He dribbles through lines to start transitions, and is the safe ball when under a higher press. There was a period of time (between the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons) where he was only dispossessed by eight players. Dembele is Pocchetino’s linchpin, and rightfully so.
Heir to the Throne
Ultimately, the Premier League is home to some of the world’s best defensive midfielders. But they all offer something different. Comparing Kante to Matic is comparing apples to oranges. Dembele to Henderson is the same. Yes, you can say Nemanja Matic is a better defensive midfielder than Lee Cattermole. But when you get to the upper echelon of players, the most important aspect is fit. Kante would not be nearly as successful at Manchester United as he is at Chelsea. Dembele would not be nearly as pivotal at Anfield. So, to answer Sky Sports’ question, “Is Nemanja Matic the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League?” It depends.
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