Source: SNAPPA
Are Chelsea getting rough treatment from referees?
Jose Mourinho’s belief that there is a campaign against Chelsea doesn’t appear to be backed up by the statistics.
Mourinho was furious that Burnley’s Ashley Barnes was not sent off for his clash with Nemanja Matic this weekend, but in fact his players seem to get more protection than most.
Opponents receive a card for every 4.4 fouls committed against the Blues, with only Tottenham’s opponents (4.2) receiving stricter treatment.
It’s not an exact measure – cards can of course be given out for things other than fouls – but it’s noticeable that four of the top five are what you might call big clubs.
That suggests either that referees are more inclined to protect their stars by booking opponents, or that the opposition is resorting to more drastic measures to deal with them.
If any club has a case to plead for more protection, it would appear to be West Brom – it takes 8.3 fouls against them for opponents to earn a card.
Mourinho is often quick to highlight how often Eden Hazard is fouled, and with good reason – he’s the most fouled player in the Premier League, with 75 having been committed against him this season.
In terms of fouls per minute though, it’s Southampton’s Sadio Mane who is most sinned against – he’s fouled once for every 28.3 minutes he’s on the pitch.
Hazard is third, drawing an illegal tackle once every 32.5 minutes.
It won’t shock Mourinho, Chelsea fans or anybody really to see Barnes in the top six most regular foulers in the Premier League.
He’s not number one though – Crystal Palace striker Marouane Chamakh commits a foul for every 33.3 minutes he plays.
The numbers seem to prove that strikers can’t tackle – five of the top six most regular offenders play up front, including Leicester’s Leonardo Ulloa, whose 48 indiscretions are the most in the league this season.
Chelsea also commit relatively few fouls – or referees don’t give many against them, anyway. Either way, it would seem officials don’t appear to be picking on them.
One of the few teams even cleaner than Chelsea are Burnley – they’ve committed 251 fouls to the Blues’ 257, making their clash a somewhat surprising disciplinary flashpoint.
Everton’s relatively poor form this season could be because they’re being bullied – they’ve committed the fewest illegal challenges and, along with Swansea, have been fouled more than any other club in the division this season.
Perhaps the Toffees may need to get a bit more streetwise to rise up the table.
As for the most fouls, Crystal Palace are out on their own, with 332 committed compared to second-placed Leicester’s 317.
That might not seem too surprising to regular watchers of Neil Warnock, who was in charge of the side until Christmas.
Perhaps surprisingly, the least fouled team in the Premier League this season are Manchester City.
Maybe that’s because with players like David Silva and Sergio Aguero in their side, opponents can’t get near them.
Note: Player statistics include only those who have fouled, or been fouled, 20 times or more.