The No. 6. The pivot. The volante. The trinco. Defensive midfielders come in many shapes and sizes, but they've become perhaps the hottest property in the game behind an elite goalscorer, because the elite ones are so rare and are often the difference between the best and the rest - just ask Manchester United.
Today, we took a look at those at the top of the pile - the top five defensive midfielders plying their trade right now, and in the process, had a deep think about what the role actually entails. There's some time to think about who might be the next generation starting to make their mark here as well.
On top of that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses Kai Havertz's recent glorious form as Chelsea's out-and-out centre-forward; Sam talks about Roberto Carlos playing for a Sunday League side in Shropshire (off the bench!) and Jack waxes lyrical about Mikel Arteta's Arsenal being in the ascendancy, and their youthful vigour paying off.
There's a Melon of the Week for a certain Everton defender, we announce the winner of the Porto kit competition, and the Gibberish is all about living on a building site. It's Ranks!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices