There has been an average of 5.47 cards per game in England’s top tier thus far, a 0.94 increase on last season.
The foul count in the Premier League is also on the rise. There has been an average of 22.97 fouls per game this season. As a result, our expert has analysed the most fouled players and selected some card betting options for this weekend’s matches.
Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle – Nicolas Dominguez to be Carded
Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle – Alex Moreno to be Carded
Chelsea vs Arsenal – Declan Rice to be Carded
Tottenham vs Ipswich – Ben Johnson to be Carded
Odds courtesy of 1xBet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Bruno Guimaraes is a key player for Newcastle in the heart of midfield.The Brazilian is also the most fouled player in the Premier League, having won 40 free kicks so far this season – 15 more than any other player. Impressively, Guimaraes has won over 31% of Newcastle’s free kicks that have come as a result of a foul.
Due to Bruno being fouled so often, opposing central midfielders have accumulated a significant number of bookings. Indeed, ten of the twenty deeper centre-midfielders, who have started against Newcastle in the league this season, have received a yellow card. This week, Nicolas Dominguez will step into that role, having been carded in two of his last three Premier League appearances.
Newcastle have forced the most fouls in the Premier League, with their opponents averaging 14.5 per game. Anthony Gordon has significantly contributed to this trend, having been fouled 25 times. Gordon is a dynamic dribbler with explosive speed, capable of leaving his marker tangled and confused.
Newcastle will face Nottingham Forest, who average 3.1 cards per game, ranking them as the fifth most carded team in the league. Alex Moreno is likely to start at left-back, meaning he will be directly up against Gordon. The Spanish defender has already been carded twice in the Premier League this season, and could well pick up a third against the Magpies’ maverick winger.
Like Gordon, Cole Palmer has also been fouled 25 times in the league. Since moving to Chelsea from Manchester City, Palmer has established himself as one of the best players in the world and has proven to be a nightmare for defenders.
Palmer is flourishing in the number 10 role under Enzo Maresca. Both Ugarte and Casemiro were booked, as they attempted to tame the Englishman in Chelsea’s last game.
This weekend, the Blues face Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta’s midfield may also opt for the physical approach to contain Palmer. Declan Rice will have to keep a close eye on his England teammate here. Rice has already received two yellows and a red this season.
Last season, Tottenham were the most fouled team in the Premier League, and they currently hold the second spot as of matchday 11 this season. James Maddison has significantly boosted Spurs’ free-kick tally, having been fouled 22 times already this season.
Maddison has operated as Tottenham’s wider central midfielder this season. He frequently drifts out to the left, causing huge problems for opposition right-backs. In Maddison’s last five Premier League starts, three of the five starting right-backs for Tottenham’s opponents have been carded.