The October international break is underway, so TBR Football has looked at the dirtiest players who have executed the most fouls in Premier League games so far in 2023/24.
Top-flight teams have played 160 fixtures this term, which have featured a combined total of 1,822 fouls. Wolves have proven to be the dirtiest Premier League side so far this term. Gary O’Neil’s squad have committed 114 fouls, marginally more than AFC Bournemouth with 111.
Title rivals Manchester City (70) and Arsenal (76), in contrast, have given up the fewest free-kicks this term, though. While the per-team average through the top-flight sits at 91.1 at the October international break. But who are the Premier League’s dirtiest players this season?
Dirtiest Premier League 23/24 players for most fouls so far
According to stats by WhoScored, West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is the dirtiest player in the Premier League. The 26-year-old is the only one in the division so far this term to have committed 18 fouls. He accounts for 21.1% of the Irons’ 85 fouls as a team thus far.
Only Edson Alvarez (12) has also committed more than 10 fouls in Premier League games at West Ham this season. But the 25-year-old only ranks 15th among all top-flight players with the top 14 all committing at least 13. The top nine have further each committed at least 14.
Three players rank one foul behind Paqueta as the dirtiest Premier League player after eight possible appearances. Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie, Wolves’ Joao Gomes and Luton Town’s Marvelous Nakamba have each committed 17 fouls. Each has played in eight fixtures.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have two names in the top nine dirtiest players in the Premier League so far this season. Alexis Mac Allister has committed 16 fouls, while Luis Diaz has committed 15. Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has also committed 16 fouls over eight appearances.
Like Diaz, Wolves defender Nelson Semedo has committed 15 fouls to pip Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa with 14. Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, Aston Villa’s John McGinn, Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez have 13.
Dirtiest Premier League 23/24 players for most yellow cards so far
Despite Paqueta being the dirtiest Premier League player for fouls committed so far in 23/24 with 18, the West Ham maestro has gotten just four yellow cards. Aaron Hickey of Brentford, Newcastle star Anthony Gordon and Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea lead that standing with five.
Hickey got his five yellow cards for fouls against Tottenham, Fulham, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United. Gordon took three of his cards with fouls against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Brighton, plus two cautions after dissent against Brentford and Burnley.
Jackson has also served a one-game suspension for picking up five yellow cards for Chelsea this term. The 22-year-old received bookings in five of his first six Premier League games for dissent against Liverpool, West Ham, Forest and Bournemouth and delaying a Villa free-kick.
Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves will now fear players picking up a ban following the international break. Douglas Luiz, Lucas Digne, Guimaraes, Yves Bissouma Alvarez, Emerson Palmieri, Paqueta, Mario Lemina and Semedo are all on four yellow cards.
Dirtiest Premier League 23/24 players for most red cards so far
Tottenham actually saw Bissouma get his fifth yellow card in the Premier League this season at Luton before the break. But the Mali midfielder put a further sour not on his afternoon by receiving another caution. The red card ban supersedes the fifth yellow, leaving him on four.
Should Bissouma get another yellow whenever he returns, the 27-year-old would then serve a one-match ban for five yellow cards. The limit for cautions without a suspension does not increase to 10 until the 20th matchday. So, Bissouma must stay mindful until late December.
His red card at Luton was also one of 19 to be shown during Premier League matches so far this term. Yet no player has received two red cards thus far. Liverpool also won their appeal against Mac Allister’s. But the 24-year-old’s red card against Bournemouth stays on his CV.
Nayef Aguerd, Calvin Bassey, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Lyle Foster, Malo Gusto, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Lemina, Oli McBurnie, Matheus Nunes, Moussa Niakhate, Tim Ream, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Rodri, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Worrall and Anass Zaroury have also received red cards.