The Suspension Tightrope – Gameweek 20

The next Suspension Tightrope of the season is already up and running after Newcastle’s Jack Colback earned his ninth caution of the campaign in yesterday’s 1-0 loss at the Emirates. If the midfielder is booked at any point between now and Sunday of Gameweek 33 (April 9), he’ll earn an automatic two-match ban.

With 18 rounds of league fixtures still to play out, Colback looks in line to break an unprecedented record – no player has ever amassed 15 Premier League bookings in a single season, with six players – Olivier Dacourt, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, Robbie Savage, Cheick Tiote and Lee Cattermole – all accruing 14 over previous campaigns.

Colback is one of seven players on the New Year’s Tightrope. Norwich’s weekend match-winner Alex Tettey is tucked in just behind on eight yellows, whilst Liverpool midfielders Emre Can and Lucas sit on seven apiece, along with City’s Eliaquim Mangala, Stoke left-back Erik Pieters and Tottenham’s scorer at Everton, Deli Alli.

Elsewhere yesterday, a caution for Cattermole in Sunderland’s 3-1 home win over Villa means he has now earned 83 yellows in the Premier League – that takes him to eleventh overall in the list. United’s Wayne Rooney is eighth on 86 bookings, though Everton’s veteran midfielder Gareth Barry leads the way on 109 top-flight yellows.

In terms of team card counts, Villa’s four cautions yesterday means they are now level with Tottenham as the most culpable – both sides have collected 43 bookings, with Erik Lamela earning his sixth of the campaign at Goodison. West Brom are next best on 40 yellows.

Looking at the new bans, Bournemouth’s Simon Francis is set to miss next weekend’s FA Cup trip to Birmingham after he was sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity during the Cherries’ goalless draw at Leicester.

Post-match, manager Eddie Howe confirmed that, although he disagreed with the decision, he won’t contest Francis’ dismissal:

“I didn’t think it (Francis’ challenge) was a foul from my angle, he definitely touched the ball. It was a great recovery tackle. It’s not a foul, a penalty or a sending off. It was a very even game before that point, a high tempo game and very high quality. We had some great chances in the first half but when we went down to 10 men we showed character and it’s a great point for us. We won’t appeal the red card as it’s a one-game ban and the FA Cup is coming up.”

Victor Wanyama, meanwhile, will serve a two-match ban after he was dismissed in Southampton’s defeat at Norwich. The Kenyan has already been dismissed once this season (in Gameweek 11 at Bournemouth) and will therefore have his suspension extended by an additional match, which rules him out of the FA Cup encounter against Palace and the Gameweek 21 home match with Watford.

Wanyama took to social media to say sorry for his sending off after he came under post-match criticism from Saints boss Ronald Koeman:

“I would just like to apologise to the manager, fans and everyone at the club for my red card yesterday. It was reckless and irresponsible and I should have used my experience to have not let it happen, especially when I was on a yellow card. I now just want to focus on getting back on the pitch and helping the team as much as I can.”

Stoke’s Geoff Cameron is set to miss the next three domestic matches after he was sent off for violent conduct in the weekend derby loss at West Brom. The US international is sidelined for the upcoming Capital One Cup clash with Liverpool and FA Cup trip to Doncaster in addition to the Gameweek 21 home match against Norwich. Mark Hughes has suggested he may appeal the decision, though, with Cameron’s sending off meaning that the Potters have matched West Ham for total red cards (four) this season. Three of those dismissals have arrived against the Baggies, with Ibrahim Afellay and Charlie Adam also sent packing in a Gameweek 4 home loss to Tony Pulis’ team.

Those players join Watford’s Nathan Ake on the naughty step. The on-loan defender served the first of a three-match suspension during yesterday’s home loss to City and will also miss upcoming clashes with Newcastle (FA Cup) and Southampton (Gameweek 21) before returning to contention for the trip to Swansea on January 18.