Virgil van Dijk
Virgil is a shoo-in choice here, coming in over Jose Fonte owing to the latter’s post-Euro decline in form of late. The Dutchman has a commanding presence on the pitch that sends a clear message to the opposition: enter my zone at your peril. He’s been a consummate leader this year, donning the captain’s armband in relief of Fonte and rallying the back line to an impressive run of form lately.
At 25 and towering at 6’4″, he’s an imposing presence who can move the opposition off the ball and get forward a lot quicker than you’d expect for a defender. He played a big role in the first of Southampton’s 3 goals over West Ham and fans can expect him to keep chipping in as the season wears on.
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Wes Morgan
Leicester’s Jamaican captain is everything Southampton’s Jose Fonte should be, at comparable age and role. Confident, composed, bossing, and an utter rock in the defensive back line. Morgan doesn’t make many mistakes, and doesn’t have too many off-days, and in defence it’s consistency that counts. I’ll take him on my back four any day of the week.
With the back line filled out, it’s still 3-2 to Southampton.