Ranking the Dirtiest Teams in the English Premier League

Teams, especially English ones, are often criticised for playing "dirty" football, of being dangerous to play against and not playing in the spirit of the game.

Ashley Cole's tackle on Javier Hernandez last weekend certainly created controversy, but what do the figures tell us about which sides are the worst behaved?

I have taken into account number of fouls (all number of fouls figures taken from The Telegraph website), as well as standing in the fair play league and disciplinary table (figures from the Premier League website) and the general impression you get from watching each team play. Figures for clubs who have previously been playing in the Championship are taken from the Football League website.

So, which teams are the dirtiest in the Premier League and which, by extension, are the best behaved?

Here's my list, in descending order, of the worst-behaved Premier League sides.

20. Swansea

Swansea are pretty new to this whole Premier League thing.

As a result, I have taken into account their disciplinary record from last season in the Championship. According to the Football League website, they amassed just 431 fouls, the second-fewest in the league. They had just two players sent off all season and conceded five penalties.

To put that in perspective, Sheffield United had 12 players sent off.

Swansea have gotten off to a good start in disciplinary terms this season. They have been given just four yellow cards and are yet to have a player sent off. This has made them the joint best-behaved side in the league so far.

19. Tottenham Hotspur

Last season, Spurs conceded 398 fouls, around 11 per game. It was the best record of any Premiership side last season in terms of fouls conceded. Fifty-one yellow cards and two red cards are statistics which confirm their position as one of the best behaved in the league.

Under Harry Redknapp, Spurs have played some attractive football. He has taken them from a mid-table side to Champions League contenders, and has done so playing honest football, a commendable achievement.

Redknapp seems to think that his side is too honest. He signed Scott Parker earlier this season in an attempt to toughen up his midfield, which was being walked on. If Parker's record is anything to go by, expect more fouls this time around. Last season he notched up 42 offences (Premier League website). 

18. Manchester United

Manchester United came in 19th last season in terms of fouls committed, drawing the referee's whistle just 423 times. They were slightly less well behaved in terms of red and yellow cards; they racked up three and 58 respectively.

That is, however, still a decent enough return. There are bound to be allegations of favouritism, but the fact is United play a good passing game that relies on skill, speed and control rather than brute strength.

It was a game that took them to a Premier League title and Champions League final last season, and the same approach appears to be paying off this season. 

17. Fulham

Fulham qualified for Europe last season as a result of the fair play league. They did not, however, come top of the league. Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea all finished above them. Nonetheless, their record of just one red card and 52 yellows is impressive.

They would have ranked higher if it were not for the number of fouls they committed. They conceded 486 free kicks, a relatively high number. Furthermore, this season has seen them concede eight yellows already.

Nonetheless, their record is good. The last few seasons have seen them consistently well behaved, a path that has bought them some success. They reached the Europa League final a couple of seasons ago while playing honest football.

16. Chelsea

Chelsea topped the fair play charts last season, and while it was not enough to take them to the top of the league, it is still worthy of praise. One red card and 59 yellows is a good return, and their fouling record, which saw them break the rules 441 times, is among the best in the league. 

Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres both committed 56 fouls last season, which put them within the top 10 for most fouls committed, while they play a more physical game than other top teams. This means that although they may have topped the fair play league, they are dirtier than they appear.

Physical players such as David Luiz, John Terry and Ivanovic show that although the club's behaviour off the field was the best in the league, on the field it has not been.  

15. West Brom

If it were not for a disconcerting number of red cards (seven) last season, West Brom would have been rather close to the top of the fair league table. As it is, they have done well, but not fantastically so. 

A record of 430 fouls and 52 yellow cards is much better than their red card record might have led you to guess, and they sat a respectable seventh in the Premier League website's fair play league table.

Eleven yellows this season, but no reds, is a relatively poor record for the Midland's side and they could well find themselves a lot higher up the dirty scale if they do not turn it around. Their hard start to the season (games against the likes of United) have not helped, so their record could look significantly better within a few weeks. 

13. QPR

Premier League new boys QPR had a decent Championship record last season. The Football League website indicates that they were among the ten best both for fouls committed and yellow cards conceded, a record they have replicated so far this season.

Their red cards last season let them down; they had six players sent off on their way to promotion. The recent addition of Joey Barton is unlikely to help matters, although his influence in terms of discipline could easily be overstated. 

13. Liverpool

The return of King Kenny salvaged Liverpool's season last time around, and he helped his beloved side to a top half finish in both the fair play and card tables. 459 fouls conceded is a decent record, but a puts them a fair way behind the best behaved sides while 64 yellows and two reds was about average.

The addition of Charlie Adam, one of the worst behaved player's in the league last season, will not have helped matters; he has already been sent off for his new side and the club are currently second to last on the disciplinary table for this season.

Liverpool have some tough players in Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam and Jamie Carragher, which explains their less than exemplary discipline record. 

12. Arsenal

Arsenal are often accused of being too weak and not aggressive enough. Meanwhile, manager Arsene Wenger has complained about other sides' strong tackles and the like. Something seems to have changed last season, however. 

Surprisingly, Arsenal racked up more red cards than any other side last season—a total of six. On top of this, they were cautioned 68 times, the same number as Bolton. 

Alex Song was only beaten in the fouls table by three others, while Jack Wilshere was hardly a saint. The harder edge to Arsenal's side did not make a difference as they managed to come fourth in what once looked like a two-horse race. 

Their disastrous start to the season has largely been a result of their poor discipline on the pitch. They have already had three players sent off, while 14 yellow cards is the worst record in the league.

Their behaviour towards officials and opponents boosted them to eighth in the fair play league and stops them from being any closer to the top on this list. 

11. Sunderland

Sunderland had five players sent off last season—not the best effort—but received a more promising 57 yellow cards. They didn't actually give away all that many fouls; 440 offences put them joint 15th in terms of most fouls committed. 

Sunderland combine tough, energetic defending with fast-paced, long-ball attacking. It is a style that is conducive to the odd bad foul. They are by no means among the worst in the league, but they could hardly be described as the best behaved.

10. Manchester City

Manchester City may have the most expensive squad of all time, but that has not prevented them from doing their fair share of fouling. They had five players sent off last season, 71 cautioned and the team combined to commit 486 fouls. 

It is a record that put them bottom of the Premier League's disciplinary table. They were saved in the fair play league by the conduct of their officials and their decent respect towards the referee. 

They have done better this season, picking up just four yellow cards in their first five fixtures, a record that puts them at the right end of the table for the moment. They are still unbeaten—a state of affairs that shows that last season's success can be repeated without quite as much rough and tumble.  

Last season does appear to be something of an anomaly given that the year before they were the second best side for red and yellow cards, while in the seasons before that they were regulars in the top half.  

9. Aston Villa

Aston Villa had a bad record last season regarding discipline. They were responsible for 71 yellow cards and two reds—not a record to be proud of. They were on the receiving end of accusations about their style of play from the likes of Arsene Wenger. The Guardian reported that Wenger accused Villa of playing "a very long-ball game."

Under Alex McLeish, however, counter-attacking seems to be the new style of play. It is a less destructive style of play, but Villa have still picked up 10 yellows this season. Nonetheless, they remain unbeaten and look set to have a good season, so the current formula must have something going for it.

8. Wolves

Wolves took a lot of flack last season for being a dirty side, and with some justification. A tally of 477 fouls made them the seventh worst offenders in the league.

However, their tackle completion rate was, according to the Guardian, the best in the division, an impressive feat given that they were embroiled in a desperate fight for survival. Their tally of two reds and 63 yellows does not suggest a dangerous side either.

Their reputation is down to a very few incidents, courtesy of players like Karl Henry, one of last season's most prolific foulers. He broke Bobby Zamora's leg last season, although he did get the ball before the man, and has been in a long running feud with fellow tough tackler Joey Barton.

That does not make them an overly dirty team. It does, however, mean that they are not one of the best behaved sides in the league, as they otherwise might be. 

7. Everton

Everton were not well behaved last season. They finished joint second in terms of fouls committed but did manage to secure a mid-table finish in the fair play league courtesy of a decent yellow card record (57), although five red cards means that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Their discipline could cause problems this season. Their squad depth has been reduced, which means that they can ill afford suspensions resulting from poor discipline and injuries that are bound to come about if they get involved in very physical encounters.

At least, in a way, they have beaten Liverpool.

6. Wigan Athletic

Wigan, under Roberto Martinez, are slowly turning into side that has a lot more to it than the crunching, hard-tackling side of previous years.

They still put in a fair few bad challenges, and their record from last season of 496 fouls, four reds and 68 yellows put them near the bottom of the pile, but their treatment of officials and the opposition was well within the top half. 

Wigan's record this season—just eight yellows so far—shows that they are still looking to play a more fluid, restrained game based around holding onto the ball rather than forcing mistakes by aggressively chasing and harassing the opposition. 

5. Norwich City

Norwich—back in the Premier League after back-to-back promotions—have a poor, but not disastrous, disciplinary record. 

Their 495 fouls put them in mid-table, while their six yellows and two reds this season put them firmly in the bottom half. Regularly up against better sides, Norwich are coming to rely on force to keep other sides at bay, a tactic that is bound to lead to a poor fair play league performance. 

4. Stoke City

Stoke City are widely recognised as one of the league's dirtiest sides. They may have finished close to the bottom of the fair play league last season, but in terms of fouls, yellows and reds they are among the better behaved sides in the league.

While there is the occasional very bad challenge (Ryan Shawcross on Ramsey), for the most part they play a solid—tough, but fair—defensive game that is incredibly effective. 

This does not make up for the fairly regular offences they commit, or their poor treatment of opposition players and referees, but it does mean that they are not quite as bad as some would have you think.

3. Newcastle United

Newcastle secured more yellow cards than any other side last season with an impressive 75, but had just two players sent off. The Tyneside club ended up bottom of the fair play league courtesy of a lack of respect towards opponents and referees.

While poor discipline is not to be commended, a combative style did allow Newcastle to reach a respectable 12th place finish on their first season back in the Premiership.

2. Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn have long been regarded as a dirty side, and their disciplinary record matches that assessment. Only one club conceded more fouls than they did last season; they came 15th in the fair play league and four reds and 64 yellows meant they fared little better in the disciplinary league.

Tough, scrappy play can intimidate oppositions and bring in results, as it did against Arsenal last weekend. If that comes at the price of a poor fair play league position, so be it.

1. Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers have, over many years, created a reputation that often psychs out opponents before the first ball has even been kicked.

Kevin Davies is the undisputed king of fouling. Last season he committed 115 offences, 40 more than the next worst offender. In all but two seasons since 2003-04, Davies has committed the most fouls out of any player in the league. In the other two years, he came in second.

Obviously, it takes more than one player's actions to make Bolton the league's dirtiest team. Luckily, he is ably backed by his teammates, who helped the club to a total of 513 offences last season. They also racked up 68 yellows and five reds to put themselves well among the worst behaved sides in the league.

Even without Davies' 10 yellows, they would still have been one of the less well behaved sides.