football | Thursday, July 28, 2022 1:07 PM (Revised at: Monday, August 1, 2022 12:55 AM)

Betting on the Cards Markets in the Premier League 2022/23

Scott Thornton

Mike Dean may have retired, but there is still plenty to look forward to for card bettors in the 2022/23 season. There are a number of standout players and teams to keep an eye on when choosing your cards bets next season; whether it be overall bookings in a match or player-specific selections.

In this article:

Premier League Teams to Watch in Card Market 2022/23
Premier League Players to Watch in Card Market 2022/23
Premier League Referees to Watch in Card Market 2022/23

Premier League Teams to Watch in Card Market 2022/23

Nottingham Forest

It’s unsurprising that Nottingham Forest find themselves at the top of the list here. The Premier League averaged 3.69 cards per game last season, in comparison to 3.96 per game in the Championship. Moreover, Forest were the only side last season whose matches averaged over five cards per game.

Steve Cooper’s men will face a higher quality of opponent this season. He will still expect his team to be brave in possession to ensure that they create chances of their own. This should mean that they are forced to make professional fouls to break up opposition counters, and they will be one to watch against this season.
71% of their games in Championship last season saw over 3.5 cards, and I’m expecting it to be around a similar mark this season.

Everton

Frank Lampard has already questioned his team’s fight in pre-season, and the former Chelsea manager will be keen to get a response after Everton narrowly escaped the drop last season.

Everton have lost Richarlison this summer, and new acquisitions seem to be taking a long time to get through the door, so the whole team will have to battle to make sure the club don’t find themselves in a precarious situation again.

57% of Everton matches last season saw over 3.5 cards, but their last 10 matches in the league last season averaged 4.8 cards per game. I’m expecting them to pick up where they left off last season in terms of cards, as their manager continues to demand more.

Premier League Players to Watch in Card Market 2022/23

Junior Firpo

I’ve always found the player in direct opposition to player backed to be carded equally as important. There are certainly players who have a shorter fuse or are more inclined to make cynical fouls than others.

Tyrone Mings and Junior Firpo both received 11 yellow cards last season, and I expect Firpo to be at the forefront of the yellow cards race again this season. Leeds often left the full back exposed and he was not afraid to hack down an opponent in order for his team to get back into their defensive shape.

Wilfried Zaha and Jack Grealish

Wilfried Zaha was by far the most fouled player last season. His pace and trickery out wide, coupled with an adventurous approach adopted by Crystal Palace with the arrival of Viera meant he was a constant thorn in the side of opponents. Three Palace players appear in the top 10 most fouled players in the league.

Another player to watch out for is Jack Grealish. He was fouled 55 times last season for Man City, and I expect that number to grow this season as he appears more settled in Manchester. Direct opponents of Grealish have been good for bookings in recent years, so keep an eye on the opposition right backs when Jack is named in his favoured left wing position.

Premier League Referees to Watch in Card Market 2022/23

David Coote

Despite his reputation, Mike Dean was fairly quiet in his last season and he dished out just 65 cards (63 yellow and two red) in his final season in the Premier League. It was in fact David Coote who stole the show for card punters.

Coote averaged the most cards per game out of all of the referees who took charge of at least 20 league matches last season. His matches saw an average of 4.6 cars per game, but he did only distribute two red cards over the course of the season.

Coote finished the season by dishing out 20 cards in the final four matches, and while I expect referees to be more tentative with the cards early doors, he is one to watch as the season rolls on.

Craig Pawson

Craig Pawson proved to be another favourite for punters last season, but he slowed down with the cards in the closing weeks.

Pawson was the only other referee to officiate 20 or more games and average over 4 cards per game, so let’s hope he is put in charge of a some of the feistier rivalries this season.

His standout match last season came when he took charge of Everton against Aston Villa in January. Nine yellow cards were shown that day; there were no red cards, but Pawson did only show two red cards in the whole of last season. So I would remain cautious when backing him to give a player their marching orders.