In the 2025/26 Premier League season so far, it has become clear that tactics – and the way teams go about winning – have gone back in time. Tony Pulis and others were heavily criticised in recent years for relying on route-one football and set-pieces to grind out results, but suddenly, everyone seems to be doing it.

A quick look at the set-piece tracker shows just how much successful teams are leaning on dead-ball situations, while Liverpool have been notably undone by long balls over their defence, as old-fashioned English football appears to be back in vogue. Of course, this resurgence also brings the unwelcome by-products of time-wasting and dark arts.

Speaking of which, what about the shift in sportsmanship and one-upmanship? Has that also reverted to the rougher edge of the Barclays-era Premier League? We’ve taken a look at the ‘fair play’ table, courtesy of Transfermarkt – which tallies points for yellow and red cards – to find out.

1-5

Arsenal picked up six yellow cards in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea in November, which made them the first team this season to receive a fine for hitting the minimum threshold. The fact that they still rank as the fairest team in the top flight, despite some fans accusing them of ‘blatant cheating’ following their controversial win over West Ham, shows that the questions asked in the intro have a clear answer: yes, the return to dark-arts football has coincided with a rougher, more booking-heavy style of play.

Liverpool boast a squad full of technical ability, and one of the main criticisms of their title defence so far has been their lack of physicality, which could easily explain why they haven’t received many cards.

In the context of the Arne Slot era, that is both a positive and a potential drawback. Certainly, they benefit from not having to temper the emotions of the likes of Darwin Nunez, but sometimes, you need players with that unrestrained chaos to win you matches where the battle is being closely fought.

Aston Villa follow in third with 54 yellow cards and one red; given to Ezri Konsa in their match against Newcastle in August.

Manchester City are considered one of the cleaner sides, with their “pass them to death” mantra rarely requiring tough tackles, and their 63 yellow cards keep them high in the table.

6-10

Nottingham Forest, prone to defensive errors that often lead to more yellow cards as they soak up pressure, are next with 58 bookings and one red card, meaning they also feature among the Premier League’s fairest teams. They are followed by Brentford.

Newcastle have collected seven fewer yellow cards than Brentford, but Anthony Gordon’s costly red card against Liverpool, Dan Burn’s two bookable offences against Brentford and Jacob Ramsay’s sending off against Manchester United push them lower in the fair play table.

Rounding out the top 10 are Burnley, who have been relegated to the Championship, and Michael Carrick’s Man Utd, who are flying at the other end of the table. The two clubs have identical records of 58 yellow cards and three red cards.

11-15

West Ham find themselves in the bottom half in 11th. That ranking is due to their three red cards this term. Their second dismissal involved Lucas Paqueta, who received two quick bookings in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. After being cautioned for a foul, the Brazilian continued protesting to the referee and was shown a second yellow for dissent.

Crystal Palace have collected 68 yellow cards, as well as two red cards. They are followed by Fulham and Everton.

The Toffees, like West Ham, have also experienced a bizarre red card this season after Idrissa Gueye lashed out at teammate Michael Keane.

They are 14th, one place above Brighton & Hove Albion, who are yet to see a red card this season but have a poor disciplinary record due to receiving 86 yellow cards, the second most in the league.

16-20

“Boring, boring Chelsea” used to be the chant rival fans sang to mock the club’s defensive approach under Jose Mourinho. But the Blues’ matches this season have been anything but boring. They have already received seven red cards in their 36 league games, with Robert Sanchez, Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto and Wesley Fofana all seeing red. Alongside their 80 yellow cards, they currently rank as the most ill-disciplined team in the league.

Second bottom is Tottenham, who have been extremely undisciplined this term. Rounding out the top three are Sunderland, who have enjoyed a fine season back in England’s top flight despite picking up 78 yellow cards and three red cards.

Bournemouth also feature in the bottom five having amassed 83 yellow cards. They have only been given two red cards, though. Meanwhile, Wolves – the league’s bottom side – haven’t helped themselves by picking up two three cards, underlining that both discipline and performances have been below par.