As the
Premier League moves into gameweek 22, discipline is becoming a problem across
the league. Under current rules, any player who picks up 10 yellow cards by the
time their club's completed 32 league games will be hit with a two-match
suspension.
That makes every caution critical for clubs fighting for points, momentum, or survival.
Several
players are in the spotlight because they're close to that threshold.
Brighton's Lewis Dunk leads the pack with eight yellows, while Kyle Walker
(Burnley), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), and Tim Iroegbunam (Everton) all sit on
seven. They're entering a stretch where one mistimed challenge could keep them
out of vital fixtures.
With the
season not even into its final third, there's a long way to go. For some
players, the margin's already slim.
Lewis
Dunk (Brighton)
Lewis Dunk
is currently the player under the most pressure. Brighton's captain has eight
bookings, leaving him just two away from a two-match suspension.
His most
recent yellow came against Manchester City. The others came against West Ham
(home and away), Arsenal, Liverpool, Wolves, Chelsea, and Bournemouth. Four of
those yellows were shown in consecutive games, from gameweek 16 to 19.
If Dunk
picks up a yellow in either of the next two weeks, he'd trigger a suspension
that rules him out of matches against Everton (level with Brighton on 29
points) and rivals Crystal Palace (just a point behind on 28). Both games could
directly impact Brighton's position in the table.
Kyle
Walker (Burnley)
Kyle Walker
is also approaching dangerous territory with seven bookings as the league heads
into gameweek 22. His most recent yellow came against Brighton in gameweek 20.
He's already been booked twice against Newcastle (home and away), as well as in
matches against Chelsea, West Ham, Manchester City, and Manchester United.
The risk now
is the timing. If Walker picks up a yellow in the next few matches, he'd miss a
run of fixtures that could have a major impact on his side's season, including
a crucial game against relegation rivals West Ham.
Tim
Iroegbunam (Everton)
Tim
Iroegbunam is another player nearing suspension as the Premier League reaches
gameweek 22. The midfielder has accumulated seven yellow cards, with his most
recent one coming in the game against Wolves. Earlier in the season, he has
also been shown yellows against Burnley, Bournemouth, Fulham, Aston Villa,
Brighton, and Leeds.
The concern
for his club is the potential impact of a suspension at the wrong time. If
Iroegbunam is shown a yellow in the coming weeks, he could miss fixtures
against Fulham, Bournemouth, Manchester United, and Newcastle, matches where
control in midfield is vital.
Cristian
Romero (Tottenham)
The
Tottenham centre-back has seven yellow cards to his name. His most recent
disciplinary action came against Liverpool, where Romero was shown two yellows
and sent off.
He was
booked in four consecutive matches against Manchester United, Arsenal,
Newcastle, and Brentford, as well as Leeds and Brighton earlier in the campaign.
The concern
for Tottenham is how a future suspension could fall in the fixture calendar.
Depending on when Romero picks up his next three yellows, he could potentially
miss matches against Manchester United, Newcastle, or even the North London
derby.
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