Arteta failing to defend his Premier League manager booking crown but Emery, Maresca off the mark

Nine Premier League managers have been booked this season, with three picking up a couple of yellow cards each already. Mikel Arteta is not lagging behind.

Arteta was the joint leader for Premier League manager yellow cards in 2023/24, sharing that title with the departed Roberto De Zerbi. He is not alone in boasting a clean record, but plenty of coaches have made their way into the book.

Premier League managers with two yellow cards this season

Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth)

First booking
Newcastle (August 25) – shown a yellow card by David Coote in the 94th minute for dissent after a winning goal from Dango Ouattara was disallowed for handball.

“I went to talk to the referee, but I think the referee today could not do much more. He gave a goal. (The VAR officials) didn’t give him the chance to see the images again. What is he going to do? He took the right decision. He dealt quite well with the game, I think. He cannot do much more. It’s obvious he’s not the one that has made a mistake today,” he said.

Second booking
West Ham (August 28) – shown a yellow card by Peter Bankes in the 91st minute for dissent after a late Jarrod Bowen winner appeared to come off his elbow.

“It’s even more clear. I don’t know what to say. We are not making these mistakes but we are suffering the consequences, and we are out of the competition because of a mistake. I don’t know what we have to do to change something but obviously it’s costing us a lot. We haven’t won on Sunday because of VAR and we are out of the cup because there is no VAR,” he said.

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Marco Silva (Fulham)

First booking
Leicester (August 24) – shown a yellow card by Darren Bond in the 82nd minute for dissent after a perceived Victor Kristiansen foul on Calvin Bassey was not given.

Silva offered no public comment.

Second booking
West Ham (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Tim Robinson in the 16th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Max Kilman for a perceived foul on Adama Traore.

“It’s a clear penalty in my opinion, it’s incredible how it’s not a penalty so this is difficult to accept. I don’t have doubts. On the field I didn’t and after I don’t as well. When my player is sprinting one-on-one with the goalkeeper and someone pushes from behind, it’s almost impossible…it’s difficult to accept how the decision on the field was like that. It was clear for me and for you. We have to respect the decision but it had a massive impact in the game. If it’s a penalty, he should’ve been sent off, he didn’t try to play the ball. In that moment it’s a clear penalty and a clear red card,” he said.

Gary O’Neil (Wolves)

First booking
Arsenal (August 17, 2-0 defeat) – shown a yellow card by Jarred Gillett in the 87th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Jurrien Timber for a perceived foul on Hwang Hee-chan.

O’Neil offered no public comment.

Second booking
Nottingham Forest (August 31, 1-1 draw) – shown a yellow card by Simon Hooper in the 78th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Chris Wood for an alleged handball.

“How outstretched Chris Woods’ arm was and the fact it hits him right on the hand, it looked fairly obvious to me. It’s interesting how close Simon got to blowing his whistle. Very close to his lips,” he said.

Premier League managers with one yellow card this season

Unai Emery (Aston Villa)

First booking
Everton (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Craig Pawson in the 85th minute but it is not explicitly clear why. There are some suggestions he ventured out of his technical area while ranting at Ross Barkley, and we’ve all been there.

Emery offered no public comment.

Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton)

First booking
Arsenal (August 31) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 43rd minute for dissent after a Declan Rice foul on Joel Veltman for which the midfielder was booked.

“I was booked because I was complaining about the tackle against Joel. For me, of course we can mistake that in the Premier League that it’s a yellow card but I think nobody can complain if it’s a red. Not because of the foul but it’s more like the way he’s going into the duel,” he said.

Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)

First booking
Bournemouth (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Anthony Taylor in the 66th minute for dissent after a perceived foul on Wesley Fofana was not given.

“It’s not a problem, this amount of yellow cards. It is what it is. I complained about a foul on Wesley Fofana which for me was quite clear but it can happen. Eight yellow cards probably because these sort of games are about duels and fight and this can happen. Sometimes the game demands the way you have to behave,” he said.

Steve Cooper (Leicester)

First booking
Aston Villa (August 31) – shown a yellow card by David Coote in the 93rd minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Youri Tielemans for a perceived foul on Jamie Vardy; it was incorrectly awarded as a Villa throw-in instead.

“I think everybody in the stadium would have been booked if the referee could have got around to it. I’ve just accepted that the refereeing is where it is. The key message to us was that the threshold for tackles and duels, in this beautiful English game that we love, was going to be raised. I can remember it clearly. And then we get that,” he said.

Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest)

First booking
Southampton (August 24) – shown a yellow card by Sam Barrott in the 20th minute for dissent after Ben Brereton Diaz was not booked for a foul on Anthony Elanga.

Espirito Santo offered no public comment.

Russell Martin (Southampton)

First booking
Manchester United (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Stuart Attwell in the 81st minute for dissent after Jack Stephens was sent off for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho.

“The only thing I was annoyed about was the process of the fourth official and the ref looking at each other for ages and asking if they would give it. So that was my only frustration. I felt maybe he missed him during the game, but I think he’s made contact, so it is what it is,” he said.