Teamwork makes the dream work

The 12 Premier League matches with essentially the most yellow and pink playing cards

11


The Premier League has seen quite a few exhilarating fixtures since its inception in 1992.

Most of the time, a recreation begins with 22 gamers on the pitch and finishes with the identical quantity. Nevertheless, we’ve got not too long ago seen video games ending with a major discount in numbers – notably because the introduction of VAR.

However what top-flight video games have acquired essentially the most playing cards within the Premier League’s historical past? We’ve delved into the stats to seek out out the league’s ugliest fixtures. For this record, we take into account gamers to have been booked twice as receiving three playing cards (2 yellows, 1 pink).

Chelsea’s latest win over Bournemouth not too long ago made the headlines for the mistaken causes, with referee Anthony Taylor handing out a document 14 yellow playing cards – a brand new Premier League document. Solely three matches can declare to have seen as many bookings – right here is the total record:

Premier League matches with essentially the most playing cards

Rank

Match

Date

Yellow playing cards

Purple playing cards

1

Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea

Sep 2024

14

0

2

Tottenham 2-1 Sheff Utd

Sep 2023

13

1

3

Leeds 0-0 Chelsea

Oct 1998

13

1

4

Newcastle 2-0 Everton

Feb 1995

12

2

5

Everton 2-3 Liverpool

Apr 2001

12

1

6

Southampton 2-3 Wimbledon

Dec 1994

12

1

7

Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool

Sep 2023

11

2

8

Wolves 0-1 Aston Villa

Dec 2020

11

2

9

Liverpool 3-1 Everton

Mar 2006

11

2

10

Everton 2-2 Newcastle

Sep 2003

11

2

11

Arsenal 1-2 Leeds

Aug 2001

11

2

12

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal

Nov 1999

11

2

13

West Ham 2-1 Arsenal

Oct 1999

11

2

13

West Ham 2-1 Arsenal (Oct 1999)

11 yellows, 2 reds

An all-London basic noticed two sides fairly actually come to blows again in October 1999, a time when Harry Redknapp was joined by Frank Lampard Sr within the West Ham dugout.

4 of the yellow playing cards had been awarded to Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira and the Hammers’ Marc-Vivien Foe alone, with a complete of 11 yellows brandished at Upton Park, the place the Gunners failed to beat a Paolo Di Canio brace – whereas outnumbering the Hammers’ cautions by 7 to six.

Davor Suker’s 77th-minute strike provided the Gunners a glimmer of hope, but it surely wasn’t sufficient for Arsene Wenger’s aspect in a season once they would go on to complete second, 18 factors behind Manchester United.

West Ham playing cards

Arsenal playing cards

Steve Lomas booked

Martin Keown booked

Marc Vivien-Foe booked (x2)

Gilles Grimandi booked

John Moncur booked

Patrick Vieira booked (x2)

Paulo Wanchope booked

Dennis Bergkamp booked

Thierry Henry booked

12

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal (Nov 1999)

11 yellows, 2 reds

freddie-ljungberg-arsenal-tottenham-derby

Simply 5 weeks after their action-packed defeat to West Ham, Arsenal had been concerned in one other feisty affair towards their even-bigger rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

It was Spurs’ final league victory at White Hart Lane towards the Gunners for 11 years, till April 2010.

The guests picked up a lot of the playing cards, with Freddie Ljungberg seeing a straight pink after taking challenge with a problem from Justin Edinburgh (he later aimed a V signal at referee David Elleray) and Martin Keown taking a stroll after a second yellow in added time.

Steffen Iversen and Tim Sherwood scored two early objectives for Spurs and Arsenal may solely supply considered one of their very own via Vieira.

Tottenham playing cards

Arsenal playing cards

Stephen Carr booked

Lee Dixon booked

Justin Edinburgh booked

Martin Keown booked (x2)

Oyvind Leonhardsen booked

Patrick Vieira booked

Stephen Clemence booked

Freddie Ljungberg despatched off

Emmanuel Petit booked

Dennis Bergkamp booked

Davor Suker booked

11

Arsenal 1-2 Leeds (Aug 2001)

11 yellows, 2 reds

danny-mills-jeff-winter-leeds-united

Arsenal followers, relaxation assured – it wasn’t anybody’s intention to characteristic three successive 2-1 defeats on this record of Premier League video games with essentially the most playing cards!

We’re speaking concerning the Gunners once more, however this time it was Leeds United who had been the extra aggressive of the 2: Lee Bowyer and Danny Mills each noticed pink after selecting up their second yellow playing cards within the last quarter-hour of play.

Leeds picked up 7 of the 11 yellows that day, and bizarrely ended the sport not solely because the victors, however with over half their crew coming via unscathed.

Ian Harte put David O’Leary’s aspect forward after 29 minutes with a cheeky fast free kick, however Arsenal equalised via Sylvain Wiltord three minutes later.

Then, in what was Arsenal’s first dwelling recreation of the 2001/02 season, Mark Viduka’s 53rd-minute strike despatched the away followers into bedlam and secured all three factors for Leeds.

Arsenal playing cards

Leeds playing cards

Ashley Cole booked

Danny Mills booked (x2)

Robert Pires booked

Olivier Dacourt booked

Thierry Henry booked

Lee Bowyer booked (x2)

Francis Jeffers booked

Eirik Bakke booked

Alan Smith booked

10

Everton 2-2 Newcastle (Sep 2003)

11 yellows, 2 reds

kilbane-bowyer-newcastle-everton-premier-league

Everton’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United at Goodison Park in September 2003 noticed 4 second-half objectives, three efficiently transformed penalties, a straight pink and 11 yellow playing cards.

Newcastle had but to register a Premier League win for the season, however took the lead after Gary Naysmith’s straight pink card allowed Alan Shearer to internet from 12 yards within the 58th minute.

Nevertheless, the Magpies had been already all the way down to 10 males, as Laurent Robert had been proven a second yellow within the first half, and it took Everton simply eight minutes to equalise via Tomasz Radzinski.

Shearer scored one other penalty, however Duncan Ferguson’s spot kick salvaged some extent for the hosts with three minutes to play.

Everton playing cards

Newcastle playing cards

Steve Watson booked

Andy Griffin booked

Alan Stubbs booked

Olivier Bernard booked

Gary Naysmith despatched off

Laurent Robert booked (x2)

Tobias Linderoth booked

Craig Bellamy booked

Duncan Ferguson booked

Jermaine Jenas booked

Francis Jeffers booked

9

Liverpool 3-1 Everton (Mar 2006)

11 yellows, 2 reds

steven-gerrard-sent-off-liverpool-premier-league

Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Everton in March 2006 isn’t the one Merseyside derby to seem on this record. This was a very memorable one which featured a pink card after solely 18 minutes of play.

Steven Gerrard was the recipient of two quickfire yellows for kicking the ball away and a foul sort out on Kevin Kilbane from referee Phil Dowd at Anfield.

Six of Everton’s beginning XI had been additionally booked, whereas substitute Andy van der Meyde acquired a straight pink card within the 73rd minute for an elbow simply 5 minutes after approaching the pitch.

Luis Garcia doubled the Reds’ lead after a Phil Neville personal aim. Tim Cahill pulled one again for the guests, however Harry Kewell secured all three factors for Liverpool with six minutes remaining.

Liverpool playing cards

Everton playing cards

Harry Kewell booked

David Weir booked

Steven Gerrard booked (x2)

Alan Stubbs booked

Xabi Alonso booked

Phil Neville booked

Tony Hibbert booked

Kevin Kilbane booked

Tim Cahill booked

Andy van der Meyde despatched off

Duncan Ferguson booked

8

Wolves 0-1 Aston Villa (Dec 2020)

11 yellows, 2 reds

joao-moutinho-grealish-wolves-aston-villa

It was a Midlands derby with a distinction. Not solely was it performed in entrance of no followers, however Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Molineux additionally witnessed one of many highest card counts in Premier League historical past.

There was little motion within the opening levels of the fixture till the ultimate 10 minutes, which noticed 5 yellow playing cards and a pink. There would observe a further pink card and a penalty 4 minutes into added time.

Mike Dean awarded Villa a penalty within the 94th minute after Nelson Semedo introduced John McGinn down within the field, and Anwar El Ghazi transformed.

A minute later, Joao Moutinho acquired his second yellow and joined Douglas Luiz, who had finished the identical late on, in having an early bathe to go away each side with 10 males and little time remaining on the clock.

Wolves playing cards

Aston Villa playing cards

Adama Traore booked

Douglas Luiz booked (x2)

Leander Dendoncker booked

Matty Money booked

Joao Moutinho booked (x2)

John McGinn booked

Matt Targett booked

Ezri Konsa booked

Jack Grealish booked

7

Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool (Sep 2023)

11 yellows, 2 reds

simon-hooper-var-tottenham-liverpool

Spurs’ 2-1 victory over Liverpool final season was one of the vital controversial and dramatic video games in recent times; it was memorable for quite a few causes. It fairly actually had every little thing.

A straight pink, three objectives – together with a 96th-minute personal aim – 12 yellow playing cards and a aim that was incorrectly disallowed.

The referees’ physique, PGMOL, formally apologised after the sport for incorrectly ruling Luis Diaz’s first-half strike as offside.

Other than the three objectives and Joel Matip’s personal aim, which gifted Spurs the victory, this Premier League thriller was additionally full of playing cards.

Curtis Jones was handed a straight pink, whereas Diogo Jota joined him within the dressing room after selecting up two yellows contained in the area of a minute within the second half.

Tottenham playing cards

Liverpool playing cards

Future Udogie booked

Curtis Jones despatched off

Yves Bissouma booked

Alexis Mac Allister booked

Cristian Romero booked

Mohamed Salah booked

Pedro Porro booked

Diogo Jota booked (x2)

Alejo Veliz booked

Andy Robertson booked

Virgil van Dijk booked

6

Southampton 2-3 Wimbledon (Dec 1994)

12 yellows, 1 pink

efan-ekoku-wimbledon-premier-league

A five-goal Boxing Day thriller between Southampton and Wimbledon within the 1994/95 season was full of loads of festive playing cards.

Solely two factors separated the 2 sides going into the fixture, with each groups in mid-table. Regardless of this, the visiting Dons had been simply three factors above the drop, with 4 golf equipment taking place that season.

Nevertheless, with the groups all sq. on the break, it was Wimbledon who stole all three factors via a Dean Holdsworth penalty within the 72nd minute.

12 yellow playing cards had been dished out in the course of the 90 minutes, with Wimbledon’s Andy Thorn being despatched off for his second yellow of the afternoon.

Southampton playing cards

Wimbledon playing cards

Jason Dodd booked

Chris Perry booked

David Hughes booked

Andy Thorn booked (x2)

Tommy Widdrington booked

Gary Elkins booked

Jim Magilton booked

Efan Ekoku booked

Iain Dowie booked

Mick Harford booked

Dean Holdsworth booked

5

Everton 2-3 Liverpool (Apr 2001)

12 yellows, 1 pink

jamie-carragher-duncan-ferguson-liverpool-everton

Onto a fixture the place you’ll anticipate to see an abundance of playing cards on show. It was one of the vital memorable Merseyside derbies of all time in April 2001 when Gary McAllister’s unimaginable free-kick noticed Liverpool win at Goodison Park for the primary time since 1990.

Emile Heskey opened the scoring for the guests, bagging his twenty first aim of the season after simply 5 minutes. Duncan Ferguson and Markus Babbel then exchanged objectives earlier than Robbie Fowler smacked the publish with a penalty.

Everton thought they’d secured some extent when David Unsworth’s penalty made it 2-2, however McAllister’s stunner within the fourth minute of stoppage time snatched a win for the Reds.

So as to add to the drama, Igor Biscan noticed pink after 77 minutes together with his second yellow of the sport, and 10 different yellow playing cards had been handed out from the ninth minute, proper up till the 94th.

Everton playing cards

Liverpool playing cards

Michael Ball booked

Igor Biscan booked (x2)

Duncan Ferguson booked

Dietmar Hamann booked

Richard Gough booked

Jamie Carragher booked

Paul Gerrard booked

Gary McAllister booked

David Unsworth booked

Stephane Henchoz booked

Niclas Alexandersson booked

4

Newcastle 2-0 Everton (Feb 1995)

12 yellows, 2 reds

barry-horne-everton-premier-league

Everton acquired a complete of 9 yellow playing cards on their go to to St James’ Park in February 1995. Two of these led to a pink for Earl Barrett, who was making his debut after a transfer from Aston Villa, and Barry Horne, who made the stroll to the dressing room only a minute later.

Newcastle scored their objectives via Ruel Fox and a Peter Beardsley penalty. The Toon would go on to complete sixth that 12 months and Everton ended fifteenth, albeit with an FA Cup triumph to cap the season.

Newcastle playing cards

Everton playing cards

Robbie Elliott booked

Neville Southall booked

Rob Lee booked

David Unsworth booked

Peter Beardsley booked

David Burrows booked

Earl Barrett booked (x2)

Joe Parkinson booked

Barry Horne booked (x2)

John Ebbrell booked

3

Leeds 0-0 Chelsea (Oct 1998)

13 yellows, 1 pink

hasselbaink-duberry-leeds-chelsea-premier-league

Goalless attracts are normally dubbed as boring, however whenever you’ve acquired 13 yellow playing cards and a pink in 90 minutes, it’s onerous to class a match as boring.

Chelsea visited Leeds in October 1998 after a near-perfect begin to the season had them fourth, stage with Middlesbrough and behind Man Utd and Aston Villa. Leeds, however, couldn’t cease drawing, with six of their opening 9 video games.

It was a type of video games that had every little thing besides a aim, proving a microcosm of Leeds’ kind within the opening levels of the 1998/99 season.

Frank Leboeuf was despatched off within the 61st minute after receiving his second yellow card. Six different Chelsea gamers had been booked and Leeds had 5 of their very own, together with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who would signal for Chelsea two seasons later.

Leeds playing cards

Chelsea playing cards

Lucas Radebe booked

Ed de Goey booked

Robert Molenaar booked

Celestine Babayaro booked

Lee Bowyer booked

Frank Leboeuf booked (x2)

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink booked

Michael Duberry booked

Clyde Wijnhard booked

Dennis Sensible booked

Roberto Di Matteo booked

Gianfranco Zola booked

2

Tottenham 2-1 Sheff Utd (Sep 2023)

13 yellows, 1 pink

son-heung-min-spurs-sheff-utd-premier-league

Spurs and drama within the 2023/24 season appeared to go hand in hand.

Their 2-1 victory over Sheffield United on sixteenth September 2023 had essentially the most playing cards of any Premier League recreation in its historical past.

Not solely that, however from the ninetieth minute onwards, there have been 4 yellow playing cards and two objectives proper up till the tenth minute of added time.

After Gustavo Hamer put the Blades forward within the 73rd minute, stoppage-time objectives from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski gave Spurs a dramatic win in a recreation the place they’d trailed to the Blades in as late because the 98th minute.

Oliver McBurnie acquired a pink card within the 114th minute of play for a second bookable offence, including insult to harm for Paul Heckingbottom’s males.

Tottenham playing cards

Sheff Utd playing cards

Micky van de Ven booked

Chris Basham booked

James Maddison booked

Cameron Archer booked

Manor Solomon booked

Wes Foderingham booked

Yves Bissouma booked

Oliver McBurnie booked (x2)

Ivan Perisic booked

Jack Robinson booked

Richarlison booked

Tom Davies booked

1

Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea (Sep 2024)

14 yellows, 0 reds

jadon-sancho-anthony-taylor-bournemouth-chelsea-yellow-cards

Evidently this time of 12 months may be very widespread with yellow playing cards, as for the second season working, we’ve got seen a record-breaking match by way of cautions issued at this explicit juncture of the league marketing campaign.

The scene this time round was the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, when an in any other case uneventful conflict between the Cherries and Chelsea noticed referee Anthony Taylor dish out yellow playing cards to 14 gamers – greater than in some other Premier League match.

Six Bournemouth gamers and eight from the guests had been on the receiving finish of Taylor’s wrath, together with Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who conceded a penalty, which he would find yourself saving from Evanilson.

A yellow for Antoine Semenyo within the sixth minute of added time made historical past, albeit not for one of the best of causes.

Bournemouth playing cards

Chelsea playing cards

Ryan Christie booked

Wesley Fofana booked

Lewis Prepare dinner booked

Marc Cucurella booked

Adam Smith booked

Robert Sanchez booked

Justin Kluivert booked

Nicolas Jackson booked

Marcos Senesi booked

Levi Colwill booked

Antoine Semenyo booked

Jadon Sancho booked

Renato Veiga booked

Joao Felix booked