Foul Play

Having secured just 5 wins in the Premier League so far this season, Fulham are one of three teams to be relegated into the Championship in 2021. Accentuating the extent to which the Cottagers have struggled in their return to elite level football, Fulham is the team which has committed fouls most often in 2020/21. Data from CIES Football Observatory has the west London side down as having provoked the referee's whistle an average of every 7 minutes and 48 seconds.

Fellow relegated clubs join Fulham at this end of the list too, with West Brom and rock bottom Sheffield United clocking in at 08:56 and 07:56, respectively. Close by though is a team with a far more successful season behind them. Manchester United drew the man in black's ire every 7 minutes and 56 seconds on average, placing them in second place on this ranking - equal to their position in the league as the current campaign draws to a close.

The presence of Champions League finalists Chelsea as well as Spurs alongside United on this list show that a high rate of fouling is not always a sign of a struggling side, but is also related to play style and tactics. Backing this up is the presence of Arsenal at the other end of the ranking. With a foul every 10 minutes and 44 seconds, the Gunners are the cleanest team in the Premier League. This has hardly paid dividends for them though, with the once 'Invincibles' languishing down in 9th as another disappointing season comes to a close.