Report: The Most Penalised Premier League Teams Of The Past Decade

During the March International Break in the football fixture calendar, BettingOdds.com have taken the time to look at all the bookings and cards received by all teams over the past ten seasons of the Premier League. We have also taken the time to update our previous study into the fouls to bookings ratio across the 2020/21 Premier League season thus far, the original version of which can be found here at https://www.bettingodds.com/news/report-the-premier-league-fouls-to-bookings-ratio. 

The research found that Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has committed just 4.38 fouls for every booking, the fewest of any Big Six player in the EPL this campaign.  Meanwhile his teammate, Manchester United’s midfield general Scott McTominay, is certified as the Premier League escape artist, committing the most fouls before going into the referee’s book this season. It is in fact the Red Devils themselves who have received the most bookings out of any top tier team, with 639 yellow cards from 4172 fouls across 371 games. They have the highest fouls to game ratio of any side currently in the Premier League, with 11.25 fouls executed per game, and it currently takes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men just 52.25 minutes for every booking, the second shortest time out of all present EPL teams, behind only Aston Villa.

The results of the study can be found below and have been broken down into the following 6 categories: 

• The most to fewest bookings received by Premier League clubs between 2011 and 2021;
• The most fouls received by Premier League clubs by opposition sides between 2011 and 2021;
• The most to fewest minutes between bookings in the Premier League between 2011 and 2021;
• The outfield players to have committed the most fouls but have received the fewest bookings, having made at least 25 fouls in the 2020/21 Premier League season so far;
• The outfield players to have committed the fewest fouls but have received the most bookings, having made at least 25 fouls in the 2020/21 Premier League season so far;
• The outfield players to have committed the most fouls in the fewest minutes, having made at least 25 fouls in the 2020/21 Premier League season so far.

Most Bookings Received in the Premier League between 2011-2021

1. Manchester United - Games: 371  Fouls: 4172  Fouls per game: 11.25  Yellow cards: 639
2. Tottenham Hotspur - Games: 371  Fouls: 3940  Fouls per game: 10.62  Yellows cards: 605
3. Arsenal - Games: 371  Fouls: 371  Fouls per game: 9.95  Yellow cards: 590
4. Manchester City - Games: 372  Fouls: 3782  Fouls per game: 10.17  Yellows cards: 587
5. Everton - Games: 370  Fouls: 4042  Fouls per game: 10.92  Yellow cards: 578
6. Chelsea - Games: 371  Fouls: 3799  Fouls per game: 10.24  Yellows cards: 572
7. West Ham United - Games: 333  Fouls: 3458  Fouls per game: 10.38  Yellow cards: 566
8. Newcastle United - Games: 333  Fouls: 3588  Fouls per game: 10.77  Yellows cards: 541
9. Southampton - Games: 333  Fouls: 3746  Fouls per game: 10.42  Yellow cards: 503
10. West Bromwich Albion - Games: 295  Fouls: 3235  Fouls per game: 10.97  Yellows cards: 499
11. Liverpool - Games: 371  Fouls: 3635  Fouls per game: 9.80  Yellow cards: 494
12. Crystal Palace - Games: 295  Fouls: 3413  Fouls per game: 11.57  Yellows cards: 489
13. Aston Villa - Games: 256  Fouls: 2903  Fouls per game: 11.34  Yellow cards: 480
14. Stoke City - Games: 266  Fouls: 3940  Fouls per game: 10.47  Yellows cards: 475
15. Sunderland - Games: 228  Fouls: 2528  Fouls per game: 11.30  Yellow cards: 427
16. Burnley - Games: 219  Fouls: 2267  Fouls per game: 10.82  Yellows cards: 375
17. Watford - Games: 190  Fouls: 2335  Fouls per game: 10.46  Yellow cards: 373
18. Leicester City - Games: 257  Fouls: 2749  Fouls per game: 10.70  Yellows cards: 369
19. Swansea City - Games: 266  Fouls: 2637  Fouls per game: 9.91  Yellow cards: 368
20. Norwich City - Games: 190  Fouls: 1979  Fouls per game: 10.42  Yellows cards: 309
21. Bournemouth - Games: 190  Fouls: 1773  Fouls per game: 9.33  Yellow cards: 294
22. Fulham - Games: 182  Fouls: 1921  Fouls per game: 10.55  Yellows cards: 282
23. Wolverhampton Wanderers - Games: 143  Fouls: 1493  Fouls per game: 10.44  Yellow cards: 235
24. Brighton & Hove Albion - Games: 143  Fouls: 1601  Fouls per game: 11.20  Yellows cards: 207
25. Hull City - Games: 114  Fouls: 1275  Fouls per game: 11.18  Yellow cards: 193
26. QPR - Games: 114  Fouls: 1220  Fouls per game: 10.70  Yellows cards: 188
27. Wigan Athletic - Games: 76  Fouls: 863  Fouls per game: 11.36  Yellow cards: 133
28. Huddersfield Town - Games: 76  Fouls: 816  Fouls per game: 10.74  Yellows cards: 117
29. Cardiff City - Games: 76  Fouls: 726  Fouls per game: 9.55  Yellow cards: 115
30. Sheffield United - Games: 64  Fouls: 730  Fouls per game: 11.41  Yellows cards: 109
31. Middlesbrough - Games: 38  Fouls: 478  Fouls per game: 10.87  Yellow cards: 77
32. Blackburn Rovers - Games: 38  Fouls: 425  Fouls per game: 11.18  Yellows cards: 66
33. Bolton Wanderers - Games: 38  Fouls: 429  Fouls per game: 11.29  Yellow cards: 50
34. Reading - Games: 38  Fouls: 359  Fouls per game: 9.45  Yellows cards: 45
35. Leeds United - Games: 29  Fouls: 310  Fouls per game: 10.69  Yellow cards: 39

Most Fouls Received From Opposition in the Premier League between 2011-2021

1. Chelsea - Minutes: 33390  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 11.61  Total fouls committed by opposition: 4306
2. Everton - Minutes: 33390  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 11.35  Total fouls committed by opposition: 4200
3. Arsenal - Minutes: 33390  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 11.25  Total fouls committed by opposition: 4172
4. Manchester United - Minutes: 33390  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 11.02  Total fouls committed by opposition: 4087
5. Tottenham Hotspur - Minutes: 33390  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 10.96  Total fouls committed by opposition: 4067
6. Liverpool - Minutes: 33390  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 10.07  Total fouls committed by opposition: 3735
7. West Ham United - Minutes: 29970  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 10.92  Total fouls committed by opposition: 3638
8. Newcastle United - Minutes: 29970  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 10.67  Total fouls committed by opposition: 3553
9. Manchester City - Minutes: 33480  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 9.43  Total fouls committed by opposition: 3507
10. Southampton - Minutes: 29970  Fouls committed by opposition per game: 10.42  Total fouls committed by opposition: 3469

Most To Fewest Minutes Between Bookings in the Premier League between 2011-2021

1. Aston Villa - Games: 256  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.05  Minutes between Bookings: 48.00
2. Manchester United - Games: 371  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.53  Minutes between Bookings: 52.25
3. Burnley - Games: 219  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.05  Minutes between Bookings: 52.56
4. Sheffield United - Games: 64  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.70  Minutes between Bookings: 52.84
5. West Ham United - Games: 333  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.11  Minutes between Bookings: 52.95
6. West Bromwich Albion - Games: 295  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.48  Minutes between Bookings: 53.21
7. Crystal Palace - Games: 295  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.98  Minutes between Bookings: 54.29
8. Wolverhampton Wanderers - Games: 143  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.35  Minutes between Bookings: 54.77
9. Tottenham Hotspur - Games: 371  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.51  Minutes between Bookings: 55.19
10. Newcastle United - Games: 333  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.63  Minutes between Bookings: 55.40
11. Arsenal - Games: 371  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.25  Minutes between Bookings: 56.59
12. Manchester City - Games: 372  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.44  Minutes between Bookings: 57.04
13. Everton - Games: 370  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.99  Minutes between Bookings: 57.61
14. Fulham - Games: 182  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.81  Minutes between Bookings: 58.09
15. Chelsea - Games: 371  Number of Fouls per Booking: 6.64  Minutes between Bookings: 58.37
16. Southampton - Games: 333  Number of Fouls per Booking: 7.45  Minutes between Bookings: 59.58
17. Brighton & Hove Albion - Games: 143  Number of Fouls per Booking: 7.73  Minutes between Bookings: 62.17
18. Leicester City - Games: 257  Number of Fouls per Booking: 7.45  Minutes between Bookings: 62.68
19. Leeds United - Games: 29  Number of Fouls per Booking: 7.95  Minutes between Bookings: 66.92
20. Liverpool - Games: 371  Number of Fouls per Booking: 7.36  Minutes between Bookings: 67.59

Most Fouls To Fewest Bookings (having made at least 25 fouls in the 2020/21 Premier League season)

1. Scott McTominay (Manchester United)- Appearances: 25 Fouls: 36 Number of yellow cards: 1  Fouls per yellow: 36
2. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)- Appearances: 28 Fouls: 33 Number of yellow cards: 1  Fouls per yellow: 33
3. Josh Brownhill (Burnley)- Appearances: 24 Fouls: 26 Number of yellow cards: 1  Fouls per yellow: 26
4. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)- Appearances: 2367 Fouls: 24 Number of yellow cards: 1  Fouls per yellow: 24
5. Mason Mount (Chelsea)- Appearances: 28 Fouls: 43 Number of yellow cards: 2  Fouls per yellow: 21.5
6. Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace)- Appearances: 25 Fouls: 34 Number of yellow cards: 2  Fouls per yellow: 17
7. Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)- Appearances: 21 Fouls: 31 Number of yellow cards: 2  Fouls per yellow: 15.5
8. Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion)- Appearances: 16 Fouls: 29 Number of yellow cards: 2  Fouls per yellow: 14.5
9. Patrick Bamford (Leeds United)- Appearances: 29 Fouls: 28 Number of yellow cards: 2  Fouls per yellow: 14
10. Tomas Souchek Bamford (Leeds United)- Appearances: 29 Fouls: 28 Number of yellow cards: 2  Fouls per yellow: 14

Fewest Fouls Per Booking (having made at least 25 fouls in the 2020/21 Premier League season)

1. John Egan* (Sheffield United)- Appearances: 22  Minutes: 1897  Fouls: 27  Fouls per game: 1.23  Minutes per foul: 70.26  Yellow cards: 7 Red Cards: 1  Minutes per card: 271.00  Fouls per booking: 3.86
2. Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United)- Appearances: 21  Minutes: 1844  Fouls: 27  Fouls per game: 1.28  Minutes per foul: 68.3  Yellow cards: 7  Minutes per card: 263.43  Fouls per booking: 3.86
3. John McGinn (Aston Villa))- Appearances: 27  Minutes: 2430  Fouls: 28  Fouls per game: 1.04  Minutes per foul: 86.79  Yellow cards: 7  Minutes per card: 347.14  Fouls per booking: 4.0
4. Conor Gallagher (West Bromwich Albion)- Appearances: 23  Minutes: 1974  Fouls: 34  Fouls per game: 1.48  Minutes per foul: 58.06  Yellow cards: 8  Minutes per card: 246.75  Fouls per booking: 4.25
5. Harry Maguire (Manchester United)- Appearances: 29  Minutes: 2610 Fouls: 35  Fouls per game: 1.21  Minutes per foul: 74.57  Yellow cards: 8  Minutes per card: 326.25  Fouls per booking: 4.38
6. Ashley Westwood (Burnley)- Appearances: 29  Minutes: 2601  Fouls: 28  Fouls per game: 0.97  Minutes per foul: 92.89  Yellow cards: 6  Minutes per card: 433.50  Fouls per booking: 4.67
7. Luka Milivojevic (Sheffield United)- Appearances: 25  Minutes: 1857  Fouls: 33  Fouls per game: 1.32  Minutes per foul: 56.27  Yellow cards: 7  Minutes per card: 265.29  Fouls per booking: 4.71
8. Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United)- Appearances: 24  Minutes: 1946  Fouls: 38  Fouls per game: 1.58  Minutes per foul: 51.21  Yellow cards: 8  Minutes per card: 243.25  Fouls per booking: 4.75
9. Oriol Romeu (Southampton)- Appearances: 20  Minutes: 1737  Fouls: 30  Fouls per game: 1.5  Minutes per foul: 57.90  Yellow cards: 6  Minutes per card: 289.50  Fouls per booking: 5.00
10. Dan Burn (Brighton & Hove Albion)- Appearances: 20  Minutes: 1517  Fouls: 25  Fouls per game: 1.25  Minutes per foul: 60.68  Yellow cards: 5  Minutes per card: 303.40  Fouls per booking: 5.00

*John Egan remains the only player on this list to have been sent off

Fewest Minutes Per Foul (having made at least 25 fouls in the 2020/21 Premier League season)

1. Trézéguet (Aston Villa)- Appearances: 19  Minutes: 1056  Fouls: 37  Fouls per game: 1.95  Minutes per foul: 28.54
2. Ashley Barnes (Burnley)- Appearances: 18  Minutes: 1302  Fouls: 43  Fouls per game: 2.39  Minutes per foul: 30.28
3. Thiago (Liverpool)- Appearances: 15  Minutes: 1131  Fouls: 33  Fouls per game: 2.2  Minutes per foul: 34.27
4. Jay Rodriguez (Burnley)- Appearances: 24  Minutes: 1128  Fouls: 29  Fouls per game: 1.21  Minutes per foul: 38.90
5. Moussa Djenepo (Southampton)- Appearances: 21  Minutes: 1088  Fouls: 28  Fouls per game: 1.33  Minutes per foul: 38.86
6. Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion)- Appearances: 16  Minutes: 1232  Fouls: 29  Fouls per game: 1.81  Minutes per foul: 42.48
7. André Gomes (Everton)- Appearances: 21  Minutes: 1272  Fouls: 32  Fouls per game: 1.52  Minutes per foul: 39.75
8. Scott McTominay (Manchester United)- Appearances: 25  Minutes: 1610  Fouls: 36  Fouls per game: 1.44  Minutes per foul: 44.72
9. Paul Pogba (Manchester United)- Appearances: 19  Minutes: 1348  Fouls: 30  Fouls per game: 1.58  Minutes per foul: 44.93
10. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)- Appearances: 17  Minutes: 1403  Fouls: 31  Fouls per game: 1.82  Minutes per foul: 45.26