Liverpool and Chelsea are among the Premier League clubs who will benefit from the threat of a one-match ban being removed. Any player who accrues five yellow cards in the first 19 matches of the season automatically receive a suspension. But the passing of the 19th match-day of the Premier League, after Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to West Ham and Tottenham were beaten 4-2 at Brighton on Thursday night, means most players are no longer at risk.
Players with four yellows for Manchester City and Brentford are the only exception. The two clubs still have to play their 19th match as a result of their fixture against one another being postponed this month due to City’s Club World Cup involvement.
But Liverpool and Chelsea stand to benefit most from the threat of a one-game suspension disappearing. They both have three players on four yellows. Only Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have more.
Liverpool duo Wataru Endo and Darwin Nunez both walked the disciplinary tightrope in the Boxing Day win at Burnley, a match which Trent Alexander-Arnold was booked in to join his two team-mates on four yellows. All three will now be safe from missing a match if they pick up a fifth.
Chelsea also have three players on four yellows now safe from a ban – the midfield trio of Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez. That is a handy boost for Mauricio Pochettino as the Blues look to slowly but surely climb the Premier League table.
Tottenham, similarly, had three players needing to be careful against Brighton on Wednesday night. Dejan Kulusevski was however booked for pulling the shirt of Danny Welbeck and so will miss Spurs’ match against Bournemouth next time out.
Ange Postecoglou has also seen Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie miss matches through suspension this season but Pape Matar Sarr kept it clean against the Seagulls while Cristian Romero missed out due to injury. Sarr and Romero are therefore free from the worry of being banned for a match.
Players who pick up 10 yellows across the season will be subject to a two-match ban, regardless of whether they served a one-match suspension earlier in the year. Two players – Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Fulham’s Joao Palhinha – are currently on eight cautions.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Newcastle duo Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes are among those on seven bookings, with City talisman Rodri in the group just behind them on six.
Arsenal have Ben White and Gabriel Jesus on four yellows. The Gunners are second in the fair play table with only 29 yellows, one double yellow red card and one straight red card this season.
Man United also have just Luke Shaw on four, while Manchester City have zero players but Newcastle have three (Joelinton, Jamaal Lascelles, Sean Longstaff) and Aston Villa four (Jhon Duran, Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Nicolo Zaniolo).
Every Premier League player on four yellow cards
Arsenal: Ben White, Gabriel Jesus
Aston Villa: Jhon Duran, Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Nicolo Zaniolo
Bournemouth: Marcos Sensi
Brentford: Kristoffer Ajer, Saman Ghoddos
Brighton: Billy Gilmour, Kaoru Mitoma, Facundo Buonanotte
Burnley: Sander Berge
Chelsea: Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez
Crystal Palace: Joachim Andersen, Jordan Ayew, Tyrick Mitchell, Joel Ward
Everton: Abdoulaye Doucoure, Ashley Young
Fulham: Antonee Robinson
Liverpool: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Wataru Endo, Darwin Nunez
Luton: Issa Kabore, Tom Lockyer
Man City: Zero
Man United: Luke Shaw
Newcastle: Joelinton, Jamaal Lascelles, Sean Longstaff
Nottingham Forest: Orel Mangala
Sheffield United: George Baldock, William Osula
Tottenham: Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr
West Ham: Vladimir Coufal
Wolves: Rayan Ait-Nouri, Hwang Hee-Chan, Max Kilman
