The Dirtiest Games in Premier League History as Liverpool Matches Headline List

The Dirtiest Games in Premier League History as Liverpool Matches Headline List

Rene Otinga
updated at February 14, 2024 at 10:56 AM
In this article:
Liverpool logo
Liverpool
England
45
Nicolas Jackson logo
N.Jackson
Chelsea logoFSenegal logo
Diogo Jota logo
D. Jota
Liverpool logoFPortugal logo
Ollie Watkins logo
O. Watkins
Aston Villa logoFEngland logo
Brentford logo
Brentford
England
38
  • Referees tend to be busiest during Liverpool matches, according to recent data
  • One of the ‘dirtiest games in EPL history’ involved the Reds in September 2023
  • The game saw the referee issue as many as 10 yellow cards and one sending-off

What is a football match without a bit of drama?

The Premier League is probably one of the most entertaining divisions in the world because it has it all; from talented footballers to some extraordinary characters on the pitch.

Diogo Jota's red card in September 2023
Three matches involving Liverpool are in the top 10 of the dirtiest games in PL history. Photo: Visionhaus/Joe Prior.
Source: Getty Images

Some of these characters are notorious for getting themselves in the referee’s bad books, and fans would argue that is what makes the game worth watching.

A classic example is Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who has nine bookings this season when only one of those has come from a foul. It’s safe to say the Senegal international is the gift that keeps giving.

With the emergence of VAR, bookings have become more prevalent in the modern game, as referees now have the time and space to review incidents before making a final call.

Bearing this in mind, it comes as no surprise that four of the 10 games that had the most bookings in the Premier League took place in 2023.

Here is a detailed look at the ‘dirtiest games in Premier League history, as per data from worldfootball.net:

Rank

Date

Home team

Away team

Yellow cards

Second yellow cards

Red cards

1

17/Dec/2023

Brentford

Aston Villa

10

0

2

2

30/Sept/2023

Tottenham

Liverpool

10

1

1

3

23/Oct/2011

QPR

Chelsea

9

0

2

4

01/May/1999

West Ham

Leeds

7

1

2

5

23/Sept/2023

Man City

Nott'm Forest

11

0

1

6

25/Mar/2006

Liverpool

Everton

9

1

1

7

07/Nov/1999

Tottenham

Arsenal

9

1

1

8

18/Mar/2023

Wolves

Leeds

8

0

2

9

18/Sept/2004

West Brom

Fulham

6

1

2

10

27/Sept/1999

Liverpool

Everton

5

0

3

Re-living the 'dirtiest game in the Premier League'

As seen above, the Brentford vs Aston Villa game on December 17, 2023, takes the cake for the dirtiest Premier League game.

In a game that saw two each side receive a red card, the visiting Aston Villa claimed a 2-1 win which helped them maintain third spot on the log after 17 games.

Keane Lewis-Potter gave Brentford the lead towards the end of the first half with a shot that went past the goalie in a crowded penalty area.

The turning point of the game came in the 71st minute, when The Bees lost Ben Mee who caught Leon Bailey on the ankle.

On-pitch referee David Coote’s decision to send off Mee incensed Brentford players and their manager Thomas Frank, who was booked for his protests, per BBC.

Alex Moreno then scored an equaliser in the 77th minute before Ollie Watkins completed the turnaround eight minutes later.

Most bizarre red cards in history

Elsewhere, Sports Brief reported on some of the strangest red card incidents in history.

A more recent bizarre red card incident happened during Manchester United’s game against Liverpool in December 2023, when Diogo Dalot was issued two yellow cards seconds apart.

Interestingly, both cards were shown for dissent.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.