Final Premier League ‘dirtiest’ players table includes Aston Villa, Man City & Nottingham Forest men - gallery

The dramatic and tense conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign emphasised just how competitive the Premier League is, with huge teams suffering shock relegations, surprise qualifiers for European football, and catastrophic drop-offs for some of the highest-supported clubs.

An explanation as to why it’s so tightly contested is perhaps down to the immense physicality displayed by sides every week. Plenty of head coaches like their players to deploy a high press in order to win battles throughout matches, causing break-ups in play.

Countless fouls are given away in every fixture, especially in midfield as some of the league’s biggest stars go head-to-head or toe-to-toe in order to regain possession. But which players are penalised the most and can therefore be considered the ‘dirtiest’ in the division?

Using official data from the Premier League, we’ve taken a look at those with the most fouls given away and there are lots with more than 40 fouls. We’ve ranked them - from least to most - so you don’t have to. See below.