With the 2020-21 Premier League season winding down towards the final matches of the campaign, it’s a good time to take stock of some statistics. In a league as physical and feisty as the English top flight, it’s no surprise that there are some players who have a penchant for picking up yellow cards, and the battle is on to see who will end up with the most at the end of the campaign – not that anyone wants to be the holder of that particular title!
Read on as we look at the five players who have been cautioned most often in the Premier League so far this season.
Harry Maguire – 10
On his own at the top of the Premier League is Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, who has been the recipient of 10 bookings in this campaign so far. It’s fair to say that Maguire is not renowned for his pace, and that can leave him exposed at times, often with no choice but to concede a foul.
Overall though, you have to say that Maguire’s performances have improved this season, helping United to hold the third best defensive record in the league and improving their chances in the Premier League odds.
Conor Gallagher – 9
On loan from Chelsea, 21-year-old Conor Gallagher has been one of West Bromwich Albion’s best players this season, even if the campaign looks likely to end in relegation. Gallagher is a wily, physical midfielder, and as a result he has been no stranger to the referee’s notebook, picking up nine yellow cards so far this season. There is plenty to enjoy about Gallagher’s game, but he’ll need to become a bit more streetwise if he is to succeed at Chelsea.
Héctor Bellerín – 8
It’s been a season of ups and downs for Arsenal. Having been in a scrap in the bottom half of the table in the first part of the campaign, Mikel Arteta’s side have been able to fight their way back to the mid-table positions. Within all that, right-back Héctor Bellerín has not been afraid to put himself about, picking up eight yellow cards in total so far. Arsenal’s defence have been exposed on a number of occasions, and players like Bellerín are counting the cost of having to make last-ditch challenges.
Isaac Hayden – 8
A stalwart in Newcastle United’s midfield, Isaac Hayden’s role is to break up opposition play and provide a platform on which the Magpies more technically gifted players can strut their stuff. That role comes with its yellow card-related risks, and it’s no surprise that Hayden has notched his fair share of cautions in 2020-21. Having picked up an injury in March, Hayden is unlikely to feature again this season, and it may well prove that other players overtake him on the yellow card list before the campaign is out.
John Lundstram – 8
It’s been an awful season for Sheffield United, who have been firm favourites in the Premier League relegation odds all year, and it’s fair to say that a number of their star performers have not quite hit the heights of the previous campaign. One of these is John Lundstram, who was one of the Blade’s top players in 2019-20, and a friend of Fantasy Premier League players all over the country. This season, though, Lundstram has been more often found in the referee’s notebook than on the scoresheet, racking up eight yellow cards in a sorry campaign for his team.
