How do Saliba and Gabriel compare?
As Premier League enthusiasts, we often focus on individual brilliance, but it’s essential to remember that football is fundamentally a team sport. Unity and cooperation are crucial, especially at the centre-back position, where solid partnerships can be the cornerstone of a successful team. Two centre-backs working in sync can significantly enhance a team’s performance on the pitch.
In recent years, Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel have garnered attention for their impressive defensive contributions, which have propelled the Gunners into title contention. This season, the duo remains integral to Mikel Arteta’s defensive strategy. But how do they stack up against the top centre-back partnerships in terms of Premier League clean sheets this century? At Transfermarkt, we’ve analyzed these rankings, featuring some of the finest defenders in English football history alongside a few unexpected entries.
Top Centre-Backs by Premier League Clean Sheets
At the top of the list is the iconic Manchester United centre-back duo of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, who played 138 Premier League matches together and achieved 70 clean sheets. Following closely are Arsenal’s Saliba and Gabriel, who have now climbed to second place after their recent clean sheet in a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest, totaling 47 clean sheets from 104 games. They’ve overtaken John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, who stand in third place with 46 clean sheets from 88 matches.
Surprisingly, Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny rank fourth with 45 clean sheets across 114 starts in the Premier League. Fulham’s Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland round out the top five with 43 clean sheets from 136 games. The top 20 list includes both unexpected pairings and legendary partnerships—check out the full rankings above.
