Harry Watkinson
The dirtiest players from Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues this season
The number of fouls for a player or team has become a favourite market for bettors. To aid in choices, we have a list of the top five dirtiest players from the 'Big Five' leagues.
Most major bookmakers now have markets on the total number of fouls won and the total amount of fouls committed by a particular team in matches.
This article ranks the players from the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 with the highest number of fouls so far this season, as well as their average number of fouls per game and a breakdown of their cards received, which can help inform your betting.
Use this guide so you know the players who are statistically most likely to commit fouls in any given game.
Premier League
Watford find themselves in a real relegation scrap this season, sitting in 19th place and three points away from safety. So, it is perhaps unsurprising to see their centre forward Emmanuel Dennis has the most fouls for any Premier League player this season so far.
Maybe it’s down to frustration with their poor form, his lack of service, or purely because he’s a striker who struggles to make a clean challenge, but what’s for certain is he makes an average of two fouls per game and has picked up seven yellow cards already.
If you’re searching for a player likely to make clumsy tackles, look no further than Watford’s number 25.
- Emmanuel Dennis (Watford)
Played: 25
Fouls: 50
Fouls per game: 2
Yellow Cards: 7
Red Cards: 1
- Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace)
Played: 24
Fouls: 47
Fouls per game: 1.96
Yellow Cards: 7
Red Cards: 0
- Christian Norgaard (Brentford)
Played: 27
Fouls: 46
Fouls per game: 1.7
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
- Joelinton (Newcastle United)
Played: 25
Fouls: 42
Fouls per game: 1.68
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
- Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
Played: 24
Fouls: 41
Fouls per game: 1.71
Yellow Cards: 8
Red Cards: 0
Spanish La Liga
Hugo Guillamon is a defensive midfielder who plays for Valencia, and certainly knows how to make a tactical foul.
This season, he leads the charts in terms of fouls committed by any individual player in the Spanish top flight, making 53 thus far and picking up seven yellow cards.
The Spanish 22-year-old is highly rated and already linked with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Perhaps his ability to stop attackers in their tracks with a cheeky tug of the shirt is part of the appeal.
With an average of 2.2 fouls per game, he is a player to keep an eye on if you’re looking for a prolific fouler.
- Hugo Guillamon (Valencia)
Played: 24
Fouls: 53
Fouls per game: 2.2
Yellow Cards: 7
Red Cards: 0
- Brais Mendez (Celta Vigo)
Played: 26
Fouls: 53
Fouls per game: 2.04
Yellow Cards: 7
Red Cards: 0
- Enes Unal (Getafe)
Played: 26
Fouls: 51
Fouls per game: 1.96
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
- Roger Marti (Levante)
Played: 20
Fouls: 47
Fouls per game: 2.35
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
- Dani Rodriguez (Mallorca)
Played: 25
Fouls: 47
Fouls per game: 1.88
Yellow Cards: 5
Red Cards: 0
German Bundesliga
VfL Bochum have made an impressive return to the German top-flight and currently sit in 11th place, nine points clear of relegation.
However, they are not exactly known for their discipline, as two of their players feature in the top five of the most prolific foulers in the Bundesliga.
Bochum’s lead striker Sebastian Polter has made 49 fouls so far this season, nine more than any other Bundesliga player with an average of 2.04 per game, but surprisingly has picked up just two yellow cards – perhaps he’s just clever about the way he does it?
Looking at these stats, a bet on VfL Bochum to make plenty of fouls in any game could be a savvy move.
- Sebastian Polter (VfL Bochum)
Played: 24
Fouls: 49
Fouls per game: 2.04
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
- Rani Khedira (Union Berlin)
Played: 23
Fouls: 40
Fouls per game: 1.74
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
- Nicolas Hofler (Freiburg)
Played: 22
Fouls: 38
Fouls per game: 1.73
Yellow Cards: 5
Red Cards: 0
- Anthony Losilla (VfL Bochum)
Played: 24
Fouls: 37
Fouls per game: 1.54
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
- Maximilian Arnold (VfL Wolfsburg)
Played: 25
Fouls: 37
Fouls per game: 1.48
Yellow Cards: 4
Red Cards: 0
Italian Serie A
Serbian central midfielder Sasa Lukic of Torino currently holds the crown for the most fouls committed in all of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, with an impressive tally of 66 fouls, an average of 2.64 per match – a statistic even the great Gareth Barry would be proud of.
He is closely followed by Morten Thorsby of Sampdoria, who has made 63 fouls, and amazingly, his Torino teammate Tommaso Pobega, with 62 fouls so far this season – an average of 2.58 per game.
Torino are the team to back if you are looking for sides who make plenty of fouls.
- Sasa Lukic (Torino)
Played: 25
Fouls: 66
Fouls per game: 2.64
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
- Morten Thorsby (Sampdoria)
Played: 25
Fouls: 63
Fouls per game: 2.52
Yellow Cards: 10
Red Cards: 0
- Tommaso Pobega (Torino)
Played: 24
Fouls: 62
Fouls per game: 2.58
Yellow Cards: 9
Red Cards: 0
- Joao Pedro (Cagliari)
Played: 27
Fouls: 53
Fouls per game: 1.96
Yellow Cards: 7
Red Cards: 0
- Giulio Maggiore (Spezia)
Played: 26
Fouls: 50
Fouls per game: 1.92
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 0
French Ligue 1
Lille have reached nowhere-near the heights of their 2020/21 title-winning campaign, and currently sit in seventh place in the French top-flight.
This poor showing may explain why their key defensive midfielder Benjamin Andre has been forced into making 51 fouls so far this season, more than any other Ligue 1 player, with an average of 2.13 per match, picking up six yellow cards and one red.
Lille games have often been feisty affairs this season, so a bet on plenty of fouls in their matches is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a punt on these markets.
- Benjamin Andre (Lille)
Played: 24
Fouls: 51
Fouls per game: 2.13
Yellow Cards: 6
Red Cards: 1
- Randal Kolo Muani (Nantes)
Played: 26
Fouls: 49
Fouls per game: 1.88
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
- Vincent Pajot (Metz)
Played: 23
Fouls: 44
Fouls per game: 1.91
Yellow Cards: 5
Red Cards: 0
- Lucas Paqueta (Lyon)
Played: 25
Fouls: 42
Fouls per game: 1.68
Yellow Cards: 3
Red Cards: 0
- Ibrahima Sissoko (Strasbourg)
Played: 24
Fouls: 41
Fouls per game: 1.71
Yellow Cards: 4
Red Cards: 0