Ranking: The best dribblers in Premier League history

Dribbling may just be the most beautiful aspect of the beautiful game. Fewer things can create a buzz among fans than an elite dribbler who has carved their way through a defender or two and made a break for the box.

To honour the best in business and their iconic moments in the game, we've ranked what we believe to be the best dribbles the Prem has ever seen.

Ben Arfa was a player who arguably never quite reached his potential, but at his peak, he was nearly unstoppable with the ball at his feet. Famously, in the 2011/12 season, he glided past almost the entire Bolton team to score an incredibly individual goal.

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Wilfried Zaha was the centerpiece of Crystal Palace's attacks for years, with the weight of South London on his shoulders. Per KhelNow, Zaha completed 969 dribbles from 2010 to 2023, which was the highest number in the league.

Adama Traore's dribbling style maybe isn't as silky as some on this list, using his raw size and speed to burn defenders when afforded space. His skills are good enough to comfortably take on defenders when needed too, leading to the 2019/20 season where he completed 189 take-ons, per Squawka, which is a Premier League record.

Juninho's presence in Middlesbrough's team in the early 2000s was always somewhat of an anomaly, but he consistently performed at a high level to earn legendary status at the club. The diminutive Brazilian looked like he had glue on his feet at times, such was his incredible ball control.

The ultimate 'streets won't forget' footballer, turning out for Bolton during their Premier League glory years. Okocha was never shy of trying to embarrass defenders, willing to pull out any trick in his arsenal to beat his opponent.

Silva's dribbling style was less direct than some on this list, with the silky Spaniard waltzing past defenders in one-on-one scenarios week after week. So often his dribbling wasn't to create a chance for himself, but rather to open up space for a teammate.

Zola's spell at Chelsea just preceded Roman Abramovich's takeover and Chelsea's rise to dominance. In the years before they became 'Chelski', Zola was a huge reason for keeping Chelsea competitive, with the Italian able to waltz past multiple defenders with ease.

John Barnes was one of the finest attackers in England for nearly two decades, with dribbling being a huge aspect of his play. As FourFourTwo wrote, Barnes was “one of the finest dribblers England has seen.”

David Ginola brought Gallic flair to the Premier League during his career in England, where he spent most of his time with Newcastle and Tottenham. Standing over six foot tall, and with long, flowing hair, Ginola epitomized flair during his time in the Premier League.

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Perhaps best known for his time at Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Manchester City team, Mahrez broke into the Premier League with Leicester City, winning the most unlikely title in 2015/16. The Algerian winger was always a step ahead of his opponent, able to manipulate the ball and space to his will.

'Macca' was a sight to behold during his career, spent mostly flying up and down the wing at Liverpool before signing with Real Madrid in 1999. McManaman's career was filled with incredible solo goals where he burned defenders with his pace and guile time and time again.

The only thing stopping Ronaldo from being even higher on the list is his relatively short stay in the Premier League. Ronaldo's first spell at United was before he had truly matured as a footballer, and he was still one of the best in the world, and his second spell, was a different player. Still, seeing a young CR7 complete 50 stepovers before beating a defender was beautiful to watch.

The most decorated player in Premier League history, Giggs was a maverick winger in Alex Ferguson's dominant Manchester United teams. As FourFourTwo writes, “Giggs was fearless with his runs down the wing as he tore defenses apart, again and again.”

Henry is arguably the best player to ever grace the Premier League, able to beat players with his pace or skill, seemingly at will. He toyed with defenses, leaving hapless defenders in his wake (ahem… Jamie Carragher) scoring individual goals for fun.

Hazard combined incredible skill with strength that belied his 5'9” ​​frame. Per Squawka, on the list of top 10 seasons with the most completed take-ons, Hazard boasts four of them. His skill and ball control were impossible to stop at times... until he went to Madrid…

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