The Suspension Tightrope – Gameweek 10

Five more players plunged from the Suspension Tightrope on a weekend that saw more yellow than an episode of The Simpsons.

Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic (7.2) will miss the Gameweek 11 trip to West Ham after collecting his fifth caution of the campaign in Monday night’s win over Swansea.

West Ham’s Winston Reid(5.0) also sits out that match.

The New Zealand international – who had racked up 29 points in three matches prior to last weekend – picked up his second consecutive booking, and fifth of the season, in the 2-0 loss at Everton.

The Toffees’ Idrissa Gueye (5.0) collected a fourth caution in five matches against the Hammers and skips a trip to Chelsea.

Gaston Ramirez’s (5.3) brilliant solo run against Bournemouth led to his first goal of the season for Middlesbrough. He has been rather more prolific in front of referees, with his fifth caution meaning he will sit out Saturday’s trip to the Etihad.

West Brom’s James McClean (5.0) triggered an automatic ban in the 4-0 demolition by Man City – the third successive Gameweek that a Baggies player has toppled off the Tightrope.

In terms of other players currently banned, Ander Herrera’s (6.3) dismissal for two yellows in the Burnley blank has him sitting out Manchester United’s away day in Swansea, while Spurs midfielder Moussa Sissoko (6.8) served the second of his three-match ban and will be available again following the Arsenal showdown.

Hull City striker Adama Diomande (4.6) is now one match into his three-stretch for striking an opponent in the EFL Cup win over Bristol City.

Meanwhile, the Tightrope is positively groaning under the weight of new arrivals following Gameweek 10.

The 13.2%-owned Bournemouth defender Adam Smith (4.8) has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity every Gameweek this season, but is now one card from a ban following a caution at Middlesbrough and will have to keep his powder dry at home to Sunderland on Bonfire Night.

Paul Pogba’s (8.2) fourth yellow of the season against Burnley leaves his 8.8% ownership base hoping he doesn’t go into the international break with a ban picked up away at Swansea, with 3.7% of Fantasy Premier League managers in the same boat regarding Aleksandar Kolarov (5.8) when Man City host Middlesbrough.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Danny Rose (5.9) is another popular pick teetering on the edge of a ban.

The 5.7%-owned full back picked up his third consecutive booking against Leicester City, and with a North London derby to come on Sunday, may be ripe for a fall.

Others joining the quartet on the tightrope are Yohan Cabaye (5.6), Sam Clucas (4.8), Danny Simpson (4.9), Valon Behrami (4.5) and Craig Dawson (4.9).

All those new arrivals will struggle to find any space on a rope already accommodating veteran do-badder Diego Costa (10.4), whose fourth straight match without a suspension-triggering card came, rather fittingly, against the Saints.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.2) is another premium priced striker sitting on the four-yellow mark. The United frontman continues to shed owners at a considerable rate after blanking for the sixth straight fixtures at home to Burnley.

Those two are joined by Marouane Fellaini (5.8), Gareth Barry (4.6), Robert Huth (5.0), Jan Vertonghen (5.7), Ryan Shawcross (4.9), Mark Noble (6.2) and Jose Holebas (4.7).

One player back from a three-match suspension for Gameweek 11 is Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka (5.2) and Claudio Yacob (4.4) will return for West Brom after doing his one-match time.

The Men in Black
After taking a well-deserved Gameweek 9 break, the referees got back to awarding penalties again, with Martin Atkinson pointing to the spot for the second time in nine matches this season and the rather more prolific Robert Madley making it four awards in seven.

Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe (7.3) and Spurs striker Vincent Janssen (7.7), with his first Premier League goal, were the respective beneficiaries.

Atkinson’s apparent frugality with penalties seems to be over. Having awarded none in his first six matches, he’s now given two in his last three, while Madley’s decision was his first since his three-in-three start to the season.

Michael Oliver declined to add to his penalty portfolio in the Monday night match involving Stoke and Swansea, but has still awarded six in nine starts. Mike Dean, with six in eight matches, is now the spot-kick supremo.

At the other end of the scale, Jon Moss extended his streak to eight matches without a penalty (despite having the third highest card average at 4.88, and a table-topping two red cards this season – level with Roger East). Mike Jones followed him with a sixth penalty-free performance, matching Craig Pawson, who didn’t feature this week.

Saturday was Lee Mason’s birthday, and he promptly fell into the comedy trap by handing out seven cards of his own at The Hawthorns, including a special delivery to James McClean that triggered the midfielder’s one-match ban.

One hundred matches into the season and the new ‘anti-grappling’ laws have clearly made their mark, with referees awarding 33 penalties compared to just 19 at the same juncture last year. But they do have some heart – a whopping 22 red cards were brandished by this stage last time out compared to just nine so far this campaign.