Looking At The Most Booked Players In The 2020/21 Premier League
As of the 23rd of November 2020, 139 yellow cards have been issued by Premier League referees to players in the 2020/21 season. Leicester City have had the most recipients in the book with 14 bookings so far, that’s 2.80 per game!
Here are the players who have been booked the most over the course of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign so far.
Jonny Evans – Leicester City Position: Defender (CB)
Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans has, at the time of writing at least, the honour of calling himself the most booked player in the 2020/21 Premier League. The 32 year old spent nine seasons with Manchester United, playing under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, making 198 appearances in all competitions before moving to West Bromwich Albion and becoming an ever-present for three seasons before their eventual relegation in 2018.
Following the Baggies’ relegation from the top flight, Brendan Rodgers and Leicester City activated Evans’ release clause to bring him to the King Power Stadium. Evans has already managed to turn out over 80 times for Rodgers, adding a steeliness and sense of experience to the Foxes’ backline following the departures of the likes of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth.
Evans has so far made 7 appearances out of 9 games played for Leicester City in the league, and picked up a yellow card 4 times in this time. Though three of those came in a row against West Ham, Aston Villa and Arsenal, Northern Ireland’s second most capped ever player has so far managed to dodge a red card this season.
Hector Bellerin – Arsenal Position: Defender (RB)
Despite a strong showing in the summer transfer window and a real sense of optimism following their FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs, Arsenal have had to endure a tough start to their 2020/21 Premier League campaigns. Being amongst the favourites in most soccer betting odds for a place in the top four, Mikel Arteta’s side have been plagued with some discipline issues off the pitch involving the likes of Dani Ceballos, David Luiz, Nicolas Pepe and Matteo Guendouzi, not too mention all the issues involving Mesut Ozil’s continued exile.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard has been able to make the Gunners look at least a little bit more solid looking at the back, with the likes of Gabriel, Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin all looking much improved from campaigns previous.
And this added steeliness is evident in Bellerin making his way into second place in the list of most booked players so far this season, picking up three yellow cards in 810 minutes of action across all of Arsenal’s league matches this season. For all the added steeliness in the Arsenal side now, it’s interesting to see that no other defender comes close to Bellerin’s yellow card tally and the next in line to his record is in fact captain and main forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with two bookings in 807 minutes and 9 appearances.
Yves Bissouma – Brighton and Hove Albion Position: Midfielder (CM)
Brighton and Hove Albion have played some of the best football of any side outside of the top six so far this season, dominating possession, employing new and original formations, blooding in exciting prospects such as Tariq Lamptey and Ben White and insisting on playing everything along the floor rather than hoofed up in the air. Unfortunately for the Seagulls, a clinical touch has been missing in too many games now, which is why they find themselves 16th in the table at the moment.
Yves Bissouma was signed by Chris Hughton in 2018 but really found himself as Graham Potter’s main man following his arrival in 2019. The 24 year old Mali international is an exceptionally gifted footballer, capable in either box and injecting a huge amount of energy into the Seagulls’ midfield in the epicentre of Potter’s philosophy.
Bissouma received his first caution in the grudge match against Crystal Palace in October, and has been booked in his last two matches against Burnley and Aston Villa. He is also one of three Brighton players to be sent off this season, seeing red in a ridiculous moment where he booted Newcastle’s Jamal Lewis square in the face.
