New research has discovered the dirtiest Premier League games of all time, with Brentford FC and Aston Villa's December 2023 game taking the top spot.   

Online casinos comparison service, Onlinecasinos365, analysed the number of yellow, second yellow, and red cards given in all Premier League matches to determine which games were the dirtiest. 

Brentford's home game against Aston Villa back in December 2023 saw both teams receive a combined 12 bookings (credit: Onlincasinos365).

Brentford FC vs Aston Villa

Taking place on 17 December 2023 and refereed by David Coote, the game saw ten yellow cards and two red cards given overall, with Aston Villa winning 2-1.

Yehor Yarmoliuk of Brentford FC was given the first yellow card of the game. Brentford received a further five yellow cards, while Aston Villa received a total of four.

Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa was shown the first red card of the game for violent conduct, followed by a red card for Brentford shown to Ben Mee later in the game. 

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool FC

In second place is Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool FC. The game took place on 30 September 2023, with a final score of 2-1 to Spurs.

The referee, Simon Hooper, gave a total of five yellow cards to each team throughout the game. Diogo Jota of Liverpool FC received a second yellow for a bad foul, followed by another red card for Liverpool, shown to Curtis Jones in the second half.  

Queens Park Rangers vs Chelsea FC

A west London derby between Queens Park Rangers vs Chelsea FC takes third place, with nine yellow and two red cards.

Refereed by Christopher Foy on 23 October 2011, the game's winner was Queens Park Rangers 1-0. Shaun Derry and Joey Barton of Queens Park Rangers both received yellow cards, while Chelsea was given a total of seven yellow cards and two red cards.  

West Ham United vs Leeds United

Next on the list is the West Ham United vs Leeds United game that took place on 1 May 1999, with Leeds winning 5-1.

There was a total of seven yellows, one second yellow and two red cards given by referee Rob Harris. Three yellow cards were given to Leeds, while the rest were given to the losing team West Ham.  

Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest

Number five is Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest, which took place on 23 September 2023.

Referee Anthony Taylor gave just one red card but a whopping eleven yellow cards, including one to the City manager for complaining to the officials after Manuel Akanji received a yellow card for a bad foul.

Rodri of Manchester City was shown a red card for violent conduct in the 46th minute of the match. After receiving one red and four yellow cards throughout the game, City won 2-0. 

Liverpool FC vs Everton FC

In sixth place is Liverpool FC vs Everton FC, which took place on 25 March 2006 and was refereed by Phil Dowd.

Everton received seven yellow cards throughout the game along with one red, which was shown to Andy Van Der Meyde.

Steven Gerrard of Liverpool FC received a yellow card in the 17th minute for kicking the ball away and a second yellow in the 18th for a bad challenge on Kevin Kilbane.

Liverpool received two more yellow cards throughout the game, before winning 3-1. 

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC

The only north London derby to feature on this list as Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC take the seventh spot.

Refereed by David Elleray, the game took place on 7 November 1999, where Spurs won 2-1 after receiving four yellow cards.

Arsenal received five yellow cards and had Keown and Ljungberg sent off after being shown a second yellow and red card, respectively. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leeds United

Next on the list is the Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leeds United game that took place on 18 March 2023.

The referee, Michael Salisbury, gave two red cards throughout the game to Jonny Otto and Matheus Nunes of Wolverhampton Wanderers; the team also received three yellow cards.

Luke Ayling of Leeds was shown the first yellow card of the game for a bad foul, followed by four more yellow cards for Leeds before they won 4-2.  

West Bromwich Albion vs Fulham FC

Ninth is West Bromwich Albion vs Fulham FC, a game that took place on 18 September 2004. Six yellow, one second yellow, and two red cards were given by referee Mike Dean throughout the game.

Both red cards were given to Fulham players Diop and Cole and five yellow cards were also shown to the team. Darren Purse of West Bromwich Albion was given a yellow card while Neil Clement received a second yellow, with the gaming ending with a 1-1 draw.  

Liverpool FC vs Everton FC

Merseyside derbies are always tense affairs as two games feature in the top 10 list of dirtiest games played in the Premier League ever.

Liverpool FC vs Everton FC took place on 27 September 1999, refereed by Mike Riley which saw Liverpool receive three yellows and two red cards, while Everton received two yellows and one red before winning the game 1-0.  

A spokesperson for Onlinecasinos365 commented: "It is fascinating to see which games were the dirtiest, especially with four out of ten being in 2023; it will be interesting to see whether 2024 has any more aggressive games in store, or whether players will stick to the rules ahead of the Euros." 

This data was complied by Onlinecasinos365.

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