Conor Gallagher’s red card in Chelsea’s win over Brighton on Sunday was the 31st in this season’s Premier League – already more than the whole of last season.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how the two seasons compare to Premier League history.
Dirty thirty
Gallagher’s was the second red card of the Premier League weekend, following Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie’s second of the season in Saturday’s defeat to Burnley.
Thirty players in total have seen red already this campaign, with 14 clubs having experienced at least one dismissal – Aston Villa, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Luton, Manchester United and Newcastle are the exceptions.
Liverpool are the worst offenders with four red cards, though Alexis Mac Allister’s against Bournemouth was overturned on appeal. Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones are their other culprits.
Gallagher became the third Chelsea player sent off this season, joining Malo Gusto and Reece James and moving them alongside Burnley, Tottenham and Wolves.
Last season saw 29 Premier League players sent off, with Manchester United midfielder Casemiro the only repeat offender. Wolves’ six, for Nelson Semedo, Mario Lemina, Jonny, Nathan Collins, Diego Costa and Matheus Nunes, were twice as many as any other club.
Over-correction
There were only 17 straight red cards last season, the fewest in the Premier League era, while the overall total was the lowest since the 28 shown in 1993-94.
While an increase on that figure was always likely, this season’s average of one red card every 4.5 games means the top flight is currently on course for 84 over the course of the season.
That would comfortably be a new record, beating the 75 shown in the 2005-06 season.
That campaign brought red cards for all 20 teams, and more than one for all bar Portsmouth. Eleven teams had four or more, topped by Blackburn and Everton with seven apiece. A 76th red card initially shown to Newcastle’s Jermaine Jenas against Arsenal was rescinded after referee Steve Bennett reviewed his own decision, with no need for a formal appeal.
Before last season, the total had been in the 40s for four years in succession – and before that, over 50 every season as far back as 1997-98.
Goals galore
Another statistic on the rise this season is the most important in football – goals.
With Burnley’s 5-0 win over Blades followed on Sunday by Liverpool and Chelsea winning 4-3 and 3-2 respectively and a 3-3 draw between Manchester City and Tottenham, there have now been 442 goals in 140 matches this season.
That average of 3.16 per game would, if sustained over the full season, be the highest in Premier League history – beating the record of 2.85 set last season.
The 1,084 goals scored on that occasion were a record for a 20-team season, with this season currently on track for 1,200.
There have still been only three 0-0 draws – Bournemouth against Chelsea and Crystal Palace’s home games against Fulham and Nottingham Forest.
McTominay has no regrets over Man Utd exit
Scott McTominay says he has no regrets about leaving Manchester United to join Napoli after a lightning-quick start to life in Italy.
He has scored three goals in 10 appearances for the Italian club in all competitions, netting twice in Serie A to help them sit top of the table after 12 games.
Only Romelu Lukaku has scored more league goals for Napoli than him this season, while McTominay has also had the second-most big chances (four) among his team-mates, scoring two of them.
Before his transfer deadline day move, McTominay had spent 22 years at United, joining their academy aged five before making his debut in May 2017.
The Scotland international made 255 appearances for the senior team, scoring 29 goals, including 10 during his most prolific season in 2023-24, and providing eight assists.
While McTominay admitted leaving his boyhood club was not an easy choice, he is pleased with the outcome of the choice.
"Obviously, it's a big decision, there's no denying that. It was a huge decision for me and my family and my friends," he told The Times.
"At times like that in your life, you just have to say, 'Do I want to do it? Absolutely,' and go for it. There's no looking back. I've never had any regrets in my life, or my career and I continue that way to this day.
"I want my career to be successful, and I'm going to go out of my way to try and push myself to be the best football player and best person that I can possibly be."
St Kitts and Nevis, Belize secure first leg advantage in Nations League Play-In
Saint Kitts and Nevis and Belize place one foot in the Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims as both secured 2-1 wins over Cuba and French Guiana, respectively, in the opening leg of their Concacaf Nations League Play-In on Thursday.
Romaine Sawyers (8th) and Andre Burley (48th) were the scorers for Saint Kitts and Nevis, while Luis Paradela (40th) pulled one back for Cuba at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre.
Meanwhile, at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan, Belize through goals from Carlos Bernardez (67th) and Eugene Martinez (75th) also secured an advantage heading into return leg action on Tuesday. Thomas Torvic (90+3) got French Guiana’s goal.
The winning teams on aggregate will advance to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims.
Saint Kitts and Nevis vs. Cuba
Sawyers opened the scoring for Saint Kitts and Nevis with a right-footed strike inside the penalty area after latching on to a final pass from Omari Sterling-James.
However, Paradela pulled Cuba level with a tidy finish from Orlando Calvo’s perfectly weighted ball into the area.
Cuba’s celebrations were short-lived as Burley restored the “Sugar Boyz” lead when he expertly headed home from Sterling-James’ weighted freekick.
Cuba will host Saint Kitts and Nevis in the second leg on Monday at Estadio Antonio Maceo in Santiago de Cuba.
Belize vs. French Guiana
After playing out a goalless first half, Bernardez broke the deadlock for Belize from a penalty spot much to the delight of home crowd.
Martinez extended the lead when he applied the finishing touch to Jordy Polanco’s decent corner kick.
Down but not out, Torvic ensured French Guiana remained in striking distance as he headed home from Thomas Vancaeyezeele’s assist.
French Guiana and Belize will meet for the second leg on Tuesday at Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, Suriname.
St Vincent and the Grenadines, El Salvador register wins in League B battle for promotion
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines kept hopes of a promotion in the Concacaf Nations League alive as they beat Monserrat 2-1, while El Salvador clipped Bonaire 1-0 in Group A of League B on Thursday.
Steven Pierre (42nd) fired home from a delightful Shakeem Adams pass before Cornelius Stewart (86th) converted from the penalty spot to seal a crucial win for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Meanwhile, Donervorn Daniels (88th) scored Montserrat’s consolation in the curtain-raiser of the double-header at Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador.
In the feature contest, host and group leaders El Salvador also secured a crucial win courtesy of Styven Vasquez’s 83rd-minute strike, which came from a Santos Ortiz assist.
By virtue of the results, El Salvador remain atop the standings on 12 points, two points ahead of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (10 points), while Bonaire (four points) and Montserrat (three points) are battling to avoid relegation.
As such, things will be interesting on Sunday’s final matchday as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will face Bonaire in the first encounter before El Salvador cross swords with Montserrat in the feature at the same venue.
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