Azor Matusiwa

Matusiwa sits in front of the back four and narrows passing options before an attack has taken shape, forcing the opposition wide or backward instead of through the middle. He wins the ball with timed interceptions rather than heavy tackles, stepping into a passing lane a fraction before the pass arrives. That positioning has made him a reliable presence across three leagues, each one demanding a different kind of defensive midfielder.

The trade off with a player like Matusiwa is that his contribution rarely shows up in a single moment, which makes him easy to undervalue when a team is going well. Supporters tend to notice a holding midfielder only once he is missing and the team looks exposed through the centre. Watch what happens to Ipswich's shape in matches he misses, because that absence says more about his importance than anything he does when he plays.