The top 10 press resistant Premier League midfielders

We've ranked the top 10 Premier League midfielders by how many successful passes they have made while under pressure from an opponent.

With the rise of high pressing teams across Europe over the last decade, press-resistant midfielders have become a vital cog in nearly every top team. Simply put, a press-resistant midfielder is someone who is able to receive and distribute the ball even when they are under pressure from the opponent. 

Here are the players who've been best at doing that in the Premier League so far this season.

 

10. Bernardo Silva
Manchester City’s first entry onto the list is Bernado Silva, who has made 175 passes while under pressure this season. Pep Guardiola’s team rank among the best Premier League sides of all time and it’s thanks to players with the technical brilliance of Bernado Silva.

 

9. Jordan Henderson
By no means is the Liverpool captain the most technical player in the league, but his ability on the ball has long gone underrated. He is able to pick up the ball in pressured situations and link up with those around him. Under Klopp especially, he has really refined this skillset.

Henderson has made 177 passes while under pressure, which places him ninth on today’s list.

 

8. Declan Rice
It’s no surprise to see several of the top clubs in England clambering for the signing of Declan Rice because he really excels in this area of the game. Rice has made 179 passes whilst under pressure, more than any other English player this season.

 

7. Christian Norgaard
Christian Norgaard breezed through the Championship with his undeniable quality on the ball and he has done well to adapt to life in the league above. The Danish midfielder has made 182 passes while under pressure this season.

 

6. Oriol Romeu
Southampton’s Oriol Romeu has made an impressive 188 passes while under pressure, more than any other player currently in the bottom half of the Premier League.

The Spanish midfielder came through the youth ranks of Barcelona so it’s no surprise to see his obvious quality in this area.

 

5. Ruben Neves
Ruben Neves is one of the finest passers in the league and his ability to stay composed in pressured situations gets him into the top five of today’s list. Neves has completed 190 passes while under pressure from the opponent this season.

The Portuguese midfielder has also completed more switches of play (a pass of 40 yards or more) than any other midfielder on this list, with 74 switches.

 

4. Bruno Fernandes
Coming in fourth place we have Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, who has made 194 passes while under pressure. With the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, Bruno has seen his role slightly change in the United set-up, but he remains a vital cog in their system.

 

3. Joao Moutinho
Coming in as the second Wolves player on the list and the fourth Portuguese, we have Joao Moutinho. The 35-year-old midfielder has made 195 passes while under pressure this season.

Wolves will find it tough to eventually replace Moutinho when the time comes - he has also completed more key passes than anyone else in the squad with 26.

 

2. Jorginho
It will come as no surprise to see Chelsea’s Jorginho on the list, a player who is defined by his ability to be press resistant. After success with Chelsea in the Champions League and Italy in the Euros, Jorginho ranked third for the 2021 Ballon d’Or.

The Italian midfielder has made 208 passes while under pressure so far in the Premier League this season. In his debut season with Chelsea, Jorginho registered the most passes under pressure with 472, but he is just pipped to the number one spot this campaign.

 

1. Rodri
Coming in first place we have Manchester City’s Rodri who has made a staggering 271 passes while under pressure. That’s an average of 14.7 passes made under pressure per 90, showing how regularly he pulls them off.

As well as this, Rodri has ranked in first place for this category for the previous two seasons, which further cements him as the number one pick on today’s list.