One of the most obvious byproducts of that combative brand of football is the high volume of fouls that are committed each game.
To give you an idea of just how many we’re talking about, Newcastle United have a combined tally of 165 fouls for and against them in the seven league matches they have played so far this season.
Not all of those are big, crunching tackles either. For every reducer, there are innumerable little niggling fouls that are as integral to the rhythm and identity of the English game as anything else.
But when it comes to the dark arts, who are the worst offenders at each Premier League club?
Here are the most penalised players per team in the top flight this term, according to Whoscored.com:
5. Chelsea - N'Golo Kante
Total number of fouls: 12 Minutes per foul: 51.9 (Photo by Phil Noble - Pool/Getty Images) Photo: Pool
6. Crystal Palace
Total number of fouls: 13 Minutes per foul: 47.1 (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Photo: Justin Setterfield
7. Everton - Allan
Total number of fouls: 11 Minutes per foul: 49.1 (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Photo: FRANK AUGSTEIN
8. Fulham - Aleksandar Mitrovic
Total number of fouls: 9 Minutes per foul: 53 (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) Photo: Mike Hewitt