Where do Saliba & Gabriel rank? 

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As Premier League football fans, we often become accustomed to seeing our attention most consumed by individual talent. But it is of course a team game and unity and togetherness are often more important than a singular superstar. Forming key partnerships on the pitch is vital to success, and one area of the pitch where this concept is particular pivotal is at centre-back. The centre-halves often provide the backbone to a triumphant team, and having two centre-backs on the same page can be a perfect recipe for victory.

Arsenal’s pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel have stolen a lot of headlines over the past couple of years for their sturdy defensive displays, which have led to the Gunners challenging for the Premier League title. It’s been evident again this season, with the aforementioned duo the heartbeat of Mikel Arteta’s defence. But where do they rank among the centre-back partnerships with the most Premier League clean sheets this century? Here at Transfermarkt, we have calculated just that. The list is full of some of the greatest central defenders to grace the English game and some partnerships that have stood the test of time. But there are also some big surprises.

Which centre-backs have the most Premier League clean sheets?

Leading the way is the legendary Manchester United centre-back partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. The Englishman and the Serb started 138 Premier League games together at centre-half and kept 70 clean sheets. Arsenal’s Saliba and Gabriel now climb to second on the list after their latest shutout in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest. The pair now have 47 clean sheets from the 104 Premier League matches they have started together. They have overtaken the now third-placed duo of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho who kept 46 clean sheets in just 88 games.

Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are surprisingly fourth on the list with 45 clean sheets in 114 starts together in the English top-flight, whilst Fulham’s Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland complete the top five with 43 clean sheets in 136 games. Many more surprising duos make the top 20, as do plenty of legendary partnerships – you can see the full list above.