The best defensive midfielders in the Premier League so far this season
Among the 19 defensive midfielders in the Premier League with at least 220 minutes this season, James Garner (Everton) has the highest standing, 72 out of 100.
Everton · 25
Manchester City · 23
Chelsea · 22The top 10
Standing is 0 to 100: the share of every defensive midfielder in the Premier League with 220+ minutes, of any age, that a player is ahead of across the measures below. 50 is the middle of that group and 100 the best, and a player with few minutes is pulled toward 50 so a handful of good games cannot top the list. The small figure is his place on each measure among the same 19.
| # | Player | Age | Mins | Standing | Tackles and interceptions per 90 | Pass completion | Accurate passes per 90 | Duels won | Times dispossessed per 90 | Long-ball accuracy | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
James Garner Everton |
25 | 510 | 72 | 3.718th | 92%1st | 53.476th | 55%10th | 0.182nd | 47%15th | 89 ▼ |
| 2 |
Elliot Anderson Manchester City |
23 | 505 | 71 | 4.107th | 90%5th | 83.411st | 62%4th | 0.538th | 55%10th | 76 ▼ |
| 3 |
Roméo Lavia Chelsea |
22 | 293 | 62 | 4.913rd | 89%7th | 33.7917th | 73%1st | 0.314th | 60%7th | - |
| 4 | 
Tyler Adams  AFC Bournemouth |
27 | 372 | 60 | 4.116th | 89%6th | 49.1110th | 39%18th | 0.243rd | 55%11th | 64 ▼ |
| 5 | 
Shea Charles  Fulham |
22 | 375 | 57 | 3.609th | 91%3rd | 52.808th | 52%13th | 0.486th | 40%17th | - |
| 6 | 
Granit Xhaka  Sunderland |
34 | 540 | 56 | 2.8314th | 86%13th | 52.179th | 61%5th | 1.0014th | 73%4th | 42 ▲ |
| 7 | 
Alex Iwobi Fulham |
30 | 498 | 55 | 1.8118th | 91%2nd | 57.472nd | 48%15th | 0.549th | 82%1st | 18 ▲ |
| 8 | 
Vitaly Janelt  Brentford |
28 | 540 | 54 | 6.331st | 84%15th | 36.5015th | 52%12th | 0.6710th | 63%6th | 59 ▼ |
| 9 | 
Ethan Ampadu  Leeds United |
26 | 540 | 52 | 4.335th | 83%16th | 37.0014th | 55%9th | 0.335th | 36%18th | 83 ▼ |
| 10 | 
Sandro Tonali  Tottenham Hotspur |
26 | 519 | 50 | 2.9513th | 89%8th | 54.454th | 65%3rd | 1.2118th | 50%12th | 25 ▲ |
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Each player is measured against every defensive midfielder in the league who has played enough, not only the ones on this list.
Since last season
Standings now against the same players' standings last season.
James Garner has dropped from a standing of 89 last season to 72 now.
Roméo Lavia has no standing from last season: he did not play 450 league minutes in the top five leagues.
Shea Charles has no standing from last season: he did not play 450 league minutes in the top five leagues.
Granit Xhaka has risen from a standing of 42 last season to 56 now.
How this list is made
Defensive midfielders in the Premier League 2026/27 with at least 220 league minutes, ranked on tackles and interceptions per 90, pass completion, accurate passes per 90, duels won, times dispossessed per 90 and long-ball accuracy. Each measure is a percentile against every defensive midfielder in the league with the same minutes. 7 rounds have been played, so the minutes bar is 220. It rises as the season goes on, until it reaches 450, about five full matches.
The league median for defensive midfielders on each measure:
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