Under Pressure: Premier League’s 10 most pressure-heavy teams

Defensive pressure is a decent form of defence, but isn't often employed by the top teams in league as much as those lower down. Here are the Premier League's top 10 pressing teams.

Not all defence comes straight from a tackle. Applying pressure is a great way for a defending team to press the offence, forcing them into a mistake or into trouble.

But it's not always the smartest tactic. A team with good composure can withstand defensive pressure, but will also not employ the tactic themselves as it can tire the players. As such, usually the top teams refrain from applying too much.

Here is the Premier League top 10 most pressure-heavy teams.

 

Leeds United

Pressure applied: 5224

Successful: 1580 (30.2%)

 

Leeds are way out and ahead of everyone else in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues for pressure because that is the way Marcelo Bielsa had them play while he was in charge.

Bielsa set Leeds up to play a basketball-style end-to-end action-type football, with players constantly on the move, pressing while on defence and running hard while on the attack.

It worked their first season back in the top flight, providing a season full of entertaining football from them. This year, though, teams got wise about the tactic and found ways to counteract it, leaving Leeds fighting off the relegation battle this season and Bielsa gone as manager.

 

Crystal Palace

Pressure applied: 4670

Successful: 1401 (30%)

 

Over the years, Palace have become the very definition of a mid table team. 15th-10th place finishes have been the way for them since returning to the Prem in 2013.

Now, Patrick Vieira has come along and breathed new life into Crystal Palace. They are still only in 12th place, but their football has looked so much more promising. 

Vieira is teaching them his way of football, and if you remember Vieira back in his prime, second on this list for Palace shouldn’t surprise you one bit.

 

Norwich City

Pressure applied: 4626

Successful: 1225 (26.5%)

 

Norwich have been trying to find anyway to get their season going, but nothing has stuck. They sit at the bottom of the table and barring a miracle, they are going to go down.

They are the least successful team on this least for pressure, with them only winning possession within five seconds of them applying the pressure 26.5% of the time.

While it doesn’t work in the Premier League for them, it must work for them in the Championship, since they keep bouncing between the two leagues year after year.

 

Everton

Pressure applied: 4477

Successful: 1365 (30.5%)

 

Everton have struggled this year and find themselves one place above the relegation zone and will have to find the fight within the team to stay up this season.

A lot has changed for the Toffees compared to last season, but one thing they’ve kept the same is their defensive pressure. 

Last year, they finished sixth in the league for total presses, so that's an improvement so far this season.

 

Watford

Pressure applied: 4422

Successful: 1252 (28.3%)

 

Watford currently find themselves in the bottom after having a fairly decent start to the season which saw them in the top half of the table. 

They have lost the second most games in the league this season with 19, with Norwich’s 20 just beating them.

 

Brentford

Pressure applied: 4372

Successful: 1269 (29%)

 

Brentford are enjoying their first season in the Premier League, and are doing surprisingly well.

They probably enjoyed the first half more-so, as they were hanging about in the top half of the table. They’re now in 15th place, not safe but away from the relegation battle for now.

Brentford play a very attacking style of football, so it's no surprise they rank in the top 10 for this list.

 

Southampton

Pressure applied: 4366

Successful: 1382 (31.7%)

 

Southampton will be thankful for the international break that’s been going on. They were on a pretty bad slide which came right after a great period of play from them. That’s really been the order of play for their season.

In terms of pressure, they are one of the best in the league. Their 31.7% success rate is fourth best in the league. 

This is something they’ve continued to be successful in. Last season, they finished fourth in the league for most pressures and fifth for success rate.

 

Tottenham

Pressure applied: 4348

Successful: 1207 (27.8%)

 

Tottenham in fifth place in the table are the highest ranking team on this list. That’s not to say that they’ve fluked their way onto this list and that position, though.

They have sustained their rate of pressure from last year, where they finished third in the league for most presses.

However, their success rate continues to be amongst the lowest. Last year, they finished on 28%, which was 13th. This season, they are 17th so far.

 

Wolves

Pressure applied: 4317

Successful: 1293 (30%)

 

The second of two teams in the top 10, Wolves are challenging for a European Competition spot this season.

They rank around the mid table for number of pressures and success rate, which seems about right for them.

 

Brighton

Pressure applied: 4313

Successful: 1400 (32.5%)

 

Brighton was the big shock at the start of the season, finding themselves at the top of the table for a short time (literally a few hours). They’ve since dropped back to the usual Brighton, sitting in 13th and currently on a six game losing streak.

But they can look at the positives. They are the most successful pressing team in the league; their 32.5% success rate sits 0.4 ahead of Manchester City in second and 0.8% more than the team with second most on this list