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EPL stats: Players with most red cards in a single Premier League season

In any level of football, discipline is of fundamental importance for a player. If a player is not disciplined enough, it is not only him but the entire team suffers along with his reckless action. The last thing a manager want is for his side to go down to 10 men. Such an event will throw their entire gameplan out of the window. What it also does is prevent the team from going for the win, as they sit back to see out a draw in most cases. Hence, it is important for a player to not cost the match for his side due to lack of discipline.

Red cards might be considered the ultimate level of punishment for any individual, however, the importance of a yellow card cannot be underestimated. A player shown a yellow will have to walk on a tight rope during the entire duration of the match. It is because a second yellow will surely guarantee him a red card. Therefore, a player who is booked will always try to be extra careful with his challenges and seldom gets involved in a physical battle. It can however prove to be difficult in a league such as the Premier League where physical gameplay is widely common.

Players with most red cards in a single Premier League season

There are multiple players who have received a good number of red cards during the course of a season. To put it into better context, seven players have got three red cards in the same Premier League campaign. The first player to do so is former Wimbledon player Vinnie Jones. He managed this unfortunate feat in 1995-96 season. Since then, six more players have gone on to get three red cards in a single campaign in the Premier League.

Slaven Bilic did it next when he was playing for Everton in the 1997-98 season. David Batty also got sent off three times for Newcastle United in the same season. Then, Craig Short was at the end of three red cards during the 2001-02 season for Blackburn Rovers and the very next season Franck Queudrue did the very same with Middlesbrough. It becomes extremely difficult for a team when their player gets sent off multiple times during the same season. It affects the team’s rhythm big time.

Who was the last player to get three red cards in a season?

Over the last decade, two players were sent off thrice in the same campaign. Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown received three red cards for Sunderland during the 2013-14 season. The last player to achieve this unfortunate feat was then Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama in 2015-16 campaign. When a player tries to avoid getting a single red card, one can only imagine how their team would have copped with their absence following three reds. Check out the list below to find out more about the players with most red cards in a single Premier League season.

PlayerClubSeasonRed Cards
Vinnie JonesWimbledon 1995-963
Slaven BilicEverton 1997-983
David BattyNewcastle United1997-983
Craig ShortBlackburn Rovers2001-023
Franck QueudrueMiddlesbrough2002-033
Wes BrownSunderland 2013-143
Victor WanyamaSouthampton 2015-163

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