Premier League bad boys and how Sunderland's disciplinary record compares
Sunderland have made a strong start to the Premier League season, but how does their disciplinary record stack up?
Sunderland suffered their first red card of the Premier League season against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Reinildo was given his marching orders for violent conduct on Matty Cash, who later gave the visitors the lead in the second half. "We have to respect the decision," Regis Le Bris said.
"Absolutely I'm disappointed. Granit spoke in the dressing room about these red cards. He experienced this feeling before in his career, so it can happen. The main point was the score and the ability to win a point today."
Thankfully, Wilson Isidor was able to strike back and earn the Black Cats a valuable point in a 1-1 draw, maintaining their home unbeaten record at the start of the season. However, Reinildo’s absence in upcoming fixtures will now be felt after a strong start to life at the Stadium of Light.
Former Sunderland boss Roy Keane could offer no defence for Reinildo, who was given his marching orders for kicking out against Cash.
"It's difficult [to make a case for the defence]," Keane said. "Cash, he leaves one on him a little bit but his reaction... I always say you give a referee the chance to send you off. He's given him that opportunity. Cash probably makes a bit of a meal of it [but] I don't think anyone can have too many complaints. He's kicked out."
How many yellow cards have Sunderland received so far this season?
Sunderland are the eighth team to suffer a red card after five weeks of the new Premier League season, with no team yet to be shown more than one. The Black Cats join Chelsea, Wolves, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Burnley, West Ham and Man Utd among the sides to see red up to now.
However, Le Bris’ side have a good record when it comes to yellow cards, only picking up seven so far, with just six sides earning fewer:
- Bournemouth (14)
- Everton (13)
- Crystal Palace (13)
- Brighton (13)
- Chelsea (12)
- Fulham (11)
- Liverpool (10)
- Wolves (10)
- Aston Villa (9)
- Tottenham Hotpsur (9)
- Brentford (9)
- Arsenal (8)
- sunderland">Sunderland (7)
- Man City (7)
- Leeds (6)
- Newcastle (6)
- Nottingham Forest (6)
- Burnley (6)
- West Ham (4)
- Man Utd (3)
How many fouls have Sunderland committed?
Sunderland boast an even cleaner record when it comes to fouls, committing just 46 offences across five games so far. That’s the joint-fewest in the Premier League alongside West Ham and Man City, and 29 fewer than Fulham, who have been the dirtiest team in this regard.
- Fulham (75)
- Wolves (72)
- Brighton (67)
- Brentford (64)
- Newcastle (63)
- Tottenham Hotspur (63)
- Bournemouth (59)
- Arsenal (56)
- Chelsea (54)
- Nottingham Forest (54)
- Aston Villa (52)
- Everton (52)
- Crystal Palace (52)
- Leeds (51)
- Man Utd (50)
- Liverpool (49)
- Burnley (47)
- sunderland">Sunderland (46)
- West Ham (46)
- Man City (46)
Sunderland - who are seventh in the table after five games - will hope to maintain their strong form and, indeed, exemplary disciplinary record when they travel to Nottingham Forest this weekend.