Arteta 1), Ten Hag 4) in ranking of Premier League managers by yellow cards – with one coach unbooked
Out of 23 permanent managers this Premier League season, only one did not receive a yellow card. Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag have a few to share out.
The following is a rundown of every red and yellow card given to a manager during the 2023/24 Premier League season, why they were given and what the manager said about it, if anything.
A gold star for Rob Edwards for not receiving a yellow or red card in his first Premier League season. He is the best boy.
1=) Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) – 5 yellow cards
The first opponent: Fulham
The date: August 26
The minute: 80th
The referee: Paul Tierney
The reason: A potential handball not given against Bernd Leno.
The second opponent: Chelsea
The date: October 21
The minute: Post-match
The referee: Paul Kavanagh
The reason: A penalty given against William Saliba for handball.
The quote: “The law is clear in where the ball has to be in relation to the action and it’s very close. It’s impossible to jump without lifting your hands, it’s just mechanically impossible. I already mentioned it to the referee, and I got booked for that, so I prefer to make no comment. I wasn’t happy with the yellow there.”
The third opponent: Luton
The date: December 5
The minute: 97th
The referee: Sam Barrott
The reason: ‘Excessive celebrating’.
The quote: “I could not be sitting on my seat, unfortunately. So I left there, I had no spatial awareness at all. It was just pure emotion. So if that’s a yellow. Okay, it’s a yellow.”
The fourth opponent: Brighton
The date: December 17
The minute: 43rd
The referee: Tim Robinson
The reason: Kaoru Mitoma fouling Bukayo Saka.
The quote: “I was waving to Martinelli.”
The fifth opponent: Chelsea
The date: April 23
The minute: 46th
The referee: Simon Hooper
The reason: Protesting against a yellow card being given to Leandro Trossard for fouling Marc Cucurella.
1=) Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton) – 5 yellow cards
The first opponent: Liverpool
The date: October 8
The minute: 71st
The referee: Anthony Taylor
The reason: A penalty not given against Virgil van Dijk.
The quote: “I thought it was a clear penalty and I think I told the referee in a good way.”
The second opponent: Sheffield United
The date: November 12
The minute: 75th
The referee: John Brooks
The reason: VAR.
The quote: “I am honest and clear, I don’t like 80% of English referees. That isn’t a new opinion. I don’t like them. I don’t like their behaviour on the pitch. England is the only country where there is VAR and you are not sure the decision is right. In other countries, you have to be sure 100 per cent. In England, no. I am not able to understand.”
The third opponent: Crystal Palace
The date: February 3
The minute: 7th
The referee: Simon Hooper
The reason: An apparent Daniel Munoz handball to stop a Brighton attack.
The quote: “The yellow card was right. I forgot that with another yellow card I can’t be on the bench at Tottenham but my players can play without their coach there.”
The fourth opponent: Everton
The date: February 24
The minute: 54th
The referee: Tony Harrington
The reason: James Tarkowski not receiving a second yellow card for fouling Danny Welbeck.
The quote: “I took another yellow card for nothing. Maybe my English is not so clear and the fourth official didn’t understand my words. It’s not important. It’s okay.”
The fifth opponent: Aston Villa
The date: May 5
The minute: 88th
The referee: Robert Jones
The reason: No idea but it was straight after Joao Pedro scored; probably didn’t have him in his FPL team.
3) Vincent Kompany (Burnley) – 3 yellow cards, 1 red
The first opponent: Sheffield United
The date: December 2
The minute: 39th
The referee: Chris Kavanagh
The reason: Oli McBurnie’s elbows.
The quote: “I have nothing against the lad, it’s a competitive game. Fair play, he puts his body on the line in every game. He’s a tremendous force for their team. But just in that moment I had a feeling I got booked and Dara O’Shea got booked and in that moment that didn’t feel right.”
The second opponent: Liverpool
The date: February 10
The minute: 55th
The referee: Tim Robinson
The reason: Complaining about a foul by Alexis Mac Allister in the build-up to Liverpool’s second goal.
The quote: “I think I got booked because I should have paid attention to the fact that Jurgen Klopp got booked because then all I think the referee did was just went looking for me. I opened my arms out which I have done exactly that in many games. Then all of a sudden the card comes out. Out of nothing. Now I am suspended for the next game. I should have known it was just a way to balance it out and it doesn’t make sense, but hey, we have to keep going. No sulking.”
The third opponent: Chelsea
The date: March 30
The minute: 43rd
The referee: Darren England
The reason: Remonstrating with the officials after Lorenz Assignon conceded a penalty and received a harsh second yellow card for fouling Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The quote: “I obviously slightly disagreed with the on-field decision! Look, I think after the game it’s important to say I did go and see the officials to apologise about the choice of words. My intention was definitely not to say or suggest that an official would get in his car on the day of a game and come with the intention to referee against a team. That wasn’t my intention. But the frustration comes from the fact it’s been a succession of mistakes and it’s always debatable. I’ll keep saying what I think, I’m not shying away from it and I’ve said it to the referees themselves, refereeing hasn’t been good enough this season.”
The fourth opponent: Tottenham
The date: May 11
The minute: 91st
The referee: Jarred Gillet
The reason: A penalty not given for a perceived foul on Lorenz Assignon, who was also booked for dissent when his appeals were turned down.
4) Erik ten Hag (Manchester United) – 4 yellow cards
The first opponent: Tottenham
The date: August 19
The minute: Post-match
The referee: Michael Oliver
The reason: A penalty not given against Cristian Romero.
The quote: “We deserved a penalty, I don’t know why [it wasn’t given]. It’s a penalty. Absolutely a penalty. It changes the direction of the ball and he is blocking, the hand is right above [him].”
The second opponent: Arsenal
The date: September 3
The minute: Post-match
The referee: Anthony Taylor
The reason: Well…
The quote: “Let’s start at the penalty given but rejected, everyone can see it’s a simulation but he did not get booked for it. Then the foul on Hojlund in the penalty area and I don’t think it was even noticed by the VAR. Then the disallowed goal from Garnacho. I think they looked from the wrong angle and it’s onside. Then the final goal. How can they allow that? It’s a clear and obvious foul on Jonny Evans otherwise he would have blocked the shot from Declan Rice. So it’s a lot.”
(Ten Hag has not got over this one, referencing it numerous times throughout the season without prompt.)
The third opponent: Luton
The date: November 11
The minute: 95th
The referee: Graham Scott
The reason: A throw-in.
The quote: “So it was about a moment that was so clear, a throw-in. But it was the second time, and I was so on top of it, and it was so clear and obvious that it was our ball. It was my remark, therefore I got booked.”
The fourth opponent: Manchester City
The date: March 3
The minute: 57th
The referee: Andy Madley
The reason: A perceived but unpunished foul on Marcus Rashford in the build-up to Phil Foden’s equaliser.
The quote: “It is very debatable, I think there was contact and it is a defining moment of the game. It was soft, but when you’re in a full sprint and you get a little touch you lose the rhythm and that’s why he went down.”
16 Conclusions on Manchester City 3-1 Man Utd: Ten Hag sack, phenomenal Foden, rubbish Rashford
5=) Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth) – 3 yellow cards
The first opponent: Brentford
The date: September 2
The minute: 69th
The referee: Thomas Bramall
The reason: Appealing for Mathias Jensen to be shown a yellow card, which he actually was.
The second opponent: Nottingham Forest
The date: December 23
The minute: 25th
The referee: Robert Jones
The reason: Appealing for Willy Boly to be shown a second yellow card, which he actually was.
The quote: “This is a mistake for me because instinctively whenever this happens, I raise (my hand) for the yellow. I thought nobody saw me. But you have the fourth official! It’s something that I know that I need to improve. But I think it is too harsh because at the end I will not be able to be in the dugout against Fulham.”
Iraola was also booked in the Carabao Cup.
The third opponent: Brentford
The date: May 11
The minute: 35th
The referee: Matt Donohue
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
5=) Mauricio Pochettino (Chelsea) – 3 yellow cards
The first opponent: Burnley
The date: October 7
The minute: 45th
The referee: Stuart Attwell
The reason: A yellow card given to Thiago Silva.
The second opponent: Manchester City
The date: November 12
The minute: 100th
The referee: Anthony Taylor
The reason: Blowing for full-time when Chelsea were attacking.
The quote: “I need to apologise to Anthony, the referees and the fourth official. In this moment, I feel that maybe Raheem can go through and go to score the fifth and in this moment when the game finishes I turn and say: ‘what the..?’ You know, what’s going on. I said: ‘why stop in this moment, the action.’ Then I turned and said ‘I deserve, I deserve to be booked.’ Because I crossed the limit, so I want to apologise because it’s not a good image for me and for football, this type of behaviour.”
16 Conclusions on Chelsea 4-4 Manchester City: Sterling, Dias, Palmer, Rodri, Jackson, Southgate
The third opponent: Crystal Palace
The date: December 27
The minute: 94th
The referee: Michael Salisbury
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
5=) Sean Dyche (Everton) – 3 yellow cards
The first opponent: Liverpool
The date: October 21
The minute: 66th
The referee: Craig Pawson
The reason: Not sending off Ibrahima Konate for a second yellow.
The quote: “I have asked the referee and he said he didn’t feel it was a bookable offence. I got a yellow card, I don’t know what for. I was just gesticulating like everyone else in the stadium and me and my coaching staff got booked. That is just ridiculous. I have seen the footage back and within a second he is saying, ‘No chance no chance’. You aren’t giving yourself thinking time. If you give yourself 10 seconds, you think, ‘That has to be a yellow’. That is just bizarre to me. How that is not a second yellow is nearly impossible in the modern game.”
The second opponent: Newcastle
The date: December 7
The minute: Post-match
The referee: Tim Robinson
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
The third opponent: Tottenham
The date: February 3
The minute: 93rd
The referee: Michael Oliver
The reason: A penalty shout for Radu Dragusin’s barge on Beto going unheard.
The quote: “Can they rescind them [manager bans for three bookings]? You are not allowed to show passion about decisions. It is a poor decision, I reacted and got booked for that. Surely there is a bit of common sense.”
5=) Marco Silva (Fulham) – 3 yellow cards
The first opponent: Everton
The date: August 12
The minute: Post-match
The referee: Stuart Attwell
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
The second opponent: Brentford
The date: August 19
The minute: 67th
The referee: Darren Bond
The reason: A penalty and red card given against Tim Ream.
The quote: “It’s the new Premier League and we have to get used to it. Any time you don’t have your hands in your pocket it’s a yellow card for the manager. Any time a player moves in the direction of the referee there will be a yellow card. We’ll have over 200 yellows in the first 10 weeks. There are new rules and we have to get used to it.”
The third opponent: Arsenal
The date: August 26
The minute: 74th
The referee: Paul Tierney
The reason: Arsenal scoring a goal while Calvin Bassey was injured and prone.
The quote: “I stand and to not move is almost impossible for me. If you behave wrong, of course you have to be booked. If you go a bit outside the area it will be difficult, not just for me. The consistency is the main thing and we are not seeing that.”
5=) Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) – 3 yellow cards
The first opponent: Burnley
The date: August 11
The minute: 75th
The referee: Craig Pawson
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
The second opponent: Nottingham Forest
The date: September 23
The minute: 18th
The referee: Anthony Taylor
The reason: A booking given against Manuel Akanji, but not Willy Boly.
The quote: “The first minute Haaland goes alone to the goal and it’s a yellow card [that isn’t given], it’s the same guy who makes an action to Rodri and it’s a yellow card and that would be the second yellow card. After the first action we get a yellow card.”
The third opponent: Sheffield United
The date: December 30
The minute: 37th
The referee: David Coote
The reason: Arguing with the fourth official.
The quote: “I get a yellow card because I don’t understand why it was not a foul – but I have something inside that I don’t like it and I do it. Not for the referees, for any decision. For patience.”
10=) Unai Emery (Aston Villa) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Brentford
The date: December 17
The minute: 97th
The referee: David Coote
The reason: Trying to stop Emiliano Martinez’s intrusive thoughts.
The quote: “When I came on the pitch I was trying to keep calm with the players. I received a yellow card for it but I tried to control the players and Emiliano was a little bit upset and I tried to keep calm.”
The second opponent: Liverpool
The date: May 13
The minute: 85th
The referee: Simon Hooper
The reason: Leaving his technical area to have a right old go at Jhon Duran after the Colombian had scored.
10=) Thomas Frank (Brentford) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Burnley
The date: October 21
The minute: 61st
The referee: Josh Smith
The reason: Fourth official Darren England.
The second opponent: Aston Villa
The date: December 17
The minute: 72nd
The referee: David Coote
The reason: Ben Mee.
The quote: “I think for me, I don’t think David got enough help from the VAR room today, I know it’s something he needs help from. I think it’s a clear penalty on Ben Mee, from the rules we’ve been told that they need to look at, of course, I’m no ref, maybe I’m wrong. I think the red card to Ben Mee, for me is not a red card.”
10=) Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Manchester United
The date: May 6
The minute: 69th
The referee: Jarred Gillet
The reason: Dissent when leaving his technical area to complain about a Sofyan Amrabat tackle on Michael Olise at 4-0 up.
The second opponent: Wolves
The date: May 11
The minute: 77th
The referee: Thomas Bramall
The reason: Picking up the ball to prevent a quick Wolves throw-in.
10=) Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Luton
The date: November 5
The minute: 75th
The referee: Andy Madley
The reason: A penalty not given against Teden Mengi for jostling with Virgil van Dijk.
The quote: “It’s Anthony Taylor (fourth official) that gave me the yellow card, not the ref. I don’t know exactly why. When I spoke to the linesman Anthony didn’t like that. I was really surprised by the yellow card. I deserve a lot of cards that I get in my life but this one I do not understand. You’ll have to ask Anthony why.”
The second opponent: Burnley
The date: February 10
The minute: 39th
The referee: Tim Robinson
The reason: A penalty not given against Hannes Delcroix for jostling with Diogo Jota.
The quote: “Is there any chance not to accept it? I’m not sure, did anybody see the situation? When Diogo got wrestled down, is that a possible penalty? I want to know. From my position [it was]. It’s in the box and, for me, that’s a penalty. And then the fourth official tells me, ‘VAR checks it’. VAR had no chance in that moment because it’s not clear and obvious. Something he’s seen was not enough for a penalty, and that clicked slightly in my head. Just imagine this game today, because we are in the middle of the blue card [discussion], that would’ve been the Wild West! Honestly, the cards would’ve flown. For a moment there would’ve been seven players on the pitch because everybody has a sin bin with a blue card. I had no clue why Vincent Kompany got it [his yellow]. I lost it in that situation so fine, give me a yellow card. As long as I don’t get a blue one and have to sit somewhere for 10 minutes!”
10=) Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Bournemouth
The date: February 4
The minute: 62nd
The referee: Rebecca Welch
The reason: Appealing to the fourth official for Luis Sinisterra to be booked for a foul.
The quote: “It was a tough game to whistle, it was not easy at all. Players from both teams were arguing a lot. It was not a beautiful game, very physical, very intense.”
The second opponent: West Ham
The date: February 17
The minute: 84th
The referee: Thomas Bramall
The reason: A penalty not given for Maxwel Cornet’s challenge on Neco Williams.
The quote: “When it is so obvious, I cannot say anything else than the truth. For me, it is a penalty. The speed of the game, maybe the referee didn’t see it. He is a young referee. But VAR has to interfere and do something because they had time. It took two minutes of checking. After you see the image, you ask yourself why. Today the result is different, but last week we were here in sorrow and grief because we expect better decisions.”
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10=) Steve Cooper (Nottingham Forest) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Liverpool
The date: October 29
The minute: 45th
The referee: Chris Kavanagh
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
The second opponent: Wolves
The date: December 9
The minute: 55th
The referee: Sam Barrott
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
10=) Paul Heckingbottom (Sheffield United) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Nottingham Forest
The date: August 18
The minute: 45th
The referee: Peter Bankes
The reason: It is not particularly clear.
The second opponent: Wolves
The date: November 4
The minute: 90th
The referee: Rob Jones
The reason: Wolves scoring a goal while Gus Hamer was injured and prone.
The quote: “It was the part that Rob played in it, not allowing us to get any treatment on for Gus. He is injured, the ball is out of play and he says if he wants treatment he has to go off. We want to make the change, we want him to get treatment. He goes down again and he doesn’t allow treatment on again and they get the equaliser when we have got 10 men. Disgraceful.”
10=) Chris Wilder (Sheffield United) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Chelsea
The date: April 7
The minute: 81st
The referee: Robert Jones
The reason: Dissent.
The second opponent: Everton
The date: May 11
The minute: 91st
The referee: Stuart Attwell
The reason: Dissent.
10=) Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham) – 2 yellow cards
The opponent: Chelsea
The date: November 6
The minute: 41st
The referee: Michael Oliver
The reason: Leaving his technical area to call for an offside.
The quote: “I think it was when the linesman didn’t put his flag up and I thought he was closing down Vic and he was offside. I think I went outside my technical area which is fair enough. I was embarrassed for being booked, even if it wasn’t for abuse.”
The second opponent: Bournemouth
The date: December 31
The minute: 92nd
The referee: Simon Hooper
The reason: Arguing with Bournemouth coaches on the touchline.
The quote: “It’s alright. Just a little bit of emotion in the game. I was more concerned with Alejo [Veliz] because we were kind of trying to get him off the field and, apart from me physically going on the pitch and dragging him off, he wasn’t really going to go down. So, we were just shouting at him and I think the Bournemouth staff thought… I don’t know what they thought, maybe that we were trying to make a substitution but we knew we had none. It was just about getting him off.”
10=) David Moyes (West Ham) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Brentford
The date: November 4
The minute: 53rd
The referee: Thomas Bramall
The reason: Complaining about Tomas Soucek being booked.
The second opponent: Newcastle
The date: March 30
The minute: 80th
The referee: Robert Jones
The reason: Complaining about an Anthony Gordon foul on Mohammed Kudus – for which the Newcastle player was also booked.
10=) Gary O’Neil (Wolves) – 2 yellow cards
The first opponent: Manchester United
The date: August 14
The minute: 96th
The referee: Simon Hooper
The reason: The Andre Onana thing.
The quote: “It looked like the goalkeeper tried to take the centre-forward’s head off is what it looked like live and when I watch it now it looks the same. I’m really surprised it’s not a foul. If you go for the ball and clatter the player that hard it has to be a foul. I’m not surprised we didn’t get it. I thought he was coming to the screen but he came over to book me. (Referee’s manager Jonathan) Moss came out and said it was a blatant penalty and apologised. He thought it was a clear and obvious error.”
The second opponent: West Ham
The date: December 17
The minute: 45th
The referee: Chris Kavanagh
The reason: A particularly industrial Kurt Zouma challenge.
The quote: “The officials were fine, but I thought my booking was really harsh. I spoke to them about that and I voiced that I thought Coufal should have been booked and Zouma should have been booked for going through the back of Cunha. I received a yellow card. That’s two now, so I’ll need to be on my best behaviour from this point onwards.”
21=) Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace) – 1 yellow cards
The opponent: Liverpool
The date: December 9
The minute: 77th
The referee: Andy Madley
The reason: Mo Salah scoring a couple of minutes after Jordan Ayew’s second yellow card.
The quote: “I don’t think we deserved nine yellow cards. I probably deserved mine, so I’ll strike that off. But that’s the way the game is going.” It was quite the anti-Virgil van Dijk rant.
21=) Eddie Howe (Newcastle) – 1 yellow cards
The opponent: West Ham
The date: March 30
The minute: 91st
The referee: Robert Jones
The reason: Leaving his technical area to celebrate a late Harvey Barnes winner.
The quote: “It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been carded. I didn’t think I’d pick one of those up again so it’s actually quite a nice feeling! I’ll take it as I didn’t get many as a player.”
23) Rob Edwards (Luton) – 0 yellow cards
Nerd.
