What Are The Dirtiest Matches In Premier League History?

The Premier League is no stranger to heated encounters, with some of the biggest rivalries in the world.

James Tarkowski’s potential “leg breaker” challenge in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool has been making headlines as of late.

So with that in mind we’ve decided to look back and list the ‘dirtiest’ matches in Premier League history.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur (May 2, 2016)

The Battle of the Bridge is one of the more famous Premier League fixtures in recent times.

Chelsea welcomed London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge with the league title at stake. A win for Chelsea would end Spurs’ pursuit of the title and confirm Leicester City as the champions of England.

Heated battles between the two sides are normal due to the nature of the rivalry. However, with so much on the line things were sure to boil over.

"It was always going to boil over" - Chelsea and Tottenham's Battle of the Bridge remembered one year on https://t.co/7VpZJaHVAT pic.twitter.com/LOVsDWt7Y9

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 1, 2017

Having taken a 2-0 lead through Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Spurs conceded twice in the second-half thanks to goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard.

The match saw Tottenham break the record for the most yellow cards by a single team in a Premier League match with nine. Chelsea would also receive three cards during the contest.

Wolves 1-1 Newcastle United (August 28, 2010)

An early season clash between Wolves and Newcastle United in 2010 saw one of the highest carded affairs in Premier League history.

Stuart Atwell handed out 12 yellow cards during the fixture, seven for Wolves and five for Newcastle.

41 fouls were committed during the encounter - 20 for Wolves, 21 for Newcastle.

Despite being in control for the majority of the contest, Newcastle United went behind just before half-time due to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s effort before Andy Carroll levelled the scoring in the 62nd minute.

Six yellow cards were given out between the two sides after the 80th minute, with the first coming 22 minutes of action.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Sheffield United (September 16, 2023)

Tottenham Hotspur pulled off the latest comeback in Premier League history when they faced off against Sheffield United in 2023.

Gustavo Hamer had given the Blades a 1-0 heading into the 73rd minute. However, an inspired substitution saw Spurs equalise in the 98th minute through Richarlison.

TOTTENHAM SCORE TWO GOALS IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES IN INJURY TIME TO COMPLETE THE COMEBACK AGAINST SHEFFIELD UNITED! 😳🔥

Richarlison and Kulusevski save the day 👏 pic.twitter.com/c75u6Rz5oX

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 16, 2023

The Brazilian would continue to make an impact on the game, as two minutes later he assisted Dejan Kulusevski’s winner in the tenth minute of stoppage time.

With the focus centred around the late comeback from Spurs, many failed to realise that 12 cards had been handed out by Peter Bankes.

Tottenham received a total of six yellow cards, while Sheffield United received five.

Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie would see red in the 14th minute of stoppage time due to his involvement in a touchline brawl.

Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea (September 14, 2024)

Anthony Taylor dished out the most cards in Premier League history when Chelsea travelled to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth in 2024.

A total of 14 yellow cards were issued by the referee but not a single red card was shown.

Chelsea received eight yellow cards (one away from tying the single team record) and Bournemouth received six. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca would also receive a card.

14 - Bournemouth (6) vs Chelsea (8) tonight produced 14 yellow cards in total, the most in a single game in Premier League history. Naughty. pic.twitter.com/ObNGhA190G

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 14, 2024

Although technically the ‘dirtiest’ match in Premier League history due to the sheer number of yellow cards shown, the match itself was far from it.

With neither team seeming to take an aggressive approach against the other, attention turned to the referee, many feeling that he was quick to book players.

Anthony Taylor’s decision making caused controversy following the contest with claims that he stopped the game from flowing and made the occasion about himself.

Chelsea would win the contest, thanks to an 86th minute winner from Christopher Nkunku, who managed to get on the end of Jadon Sancho’s pass.