All I want for Christmas is… a suspension from Premier League action?
Mariah Carey likely did not envision her festive hit becoming so butchered, but for this article we’re not that bothered about the intricacies of rhythm.
There are a grand total of 22 Premier League stars who may have Daily Mail Sport’s remastered version on repeat as they are just one booking away from getting Christmas off.
League rules state that if a star is given five yellow cards in the first 19 games of the season then they are forced to sit out a match.
In all likelihood, a suspended player would still be expected to train and watch their team from the stands for the fixtures between December 26 and 28.
But that’s not as fun as imagining them in their pyjamas lounging on the sofa watching Home Alone instead, so without further ado, here are all the players at risk as they are currently on four cards.
There are 22 Premier League players who are just one booking from getting Christmas off
If you accumulate five yellow cards in the first 19 games, you’re forced to sit out a match
Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi and Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Bernardo Silva are the title-chasing stars walking a tightrope.
Aston Villa are not far behind but could be without Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara if they play their cards wrong.
Challenging for the Champions League, Patrick Dorgu of Manchester United and Tottenham’s Pedro Porro are also cutting it fine on four yellows.
Liverpool don’t want this season to get any worse but could be deprived of their standout performer if Dominik Szoboszlai gets one more telling-off.
On the south coast, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Alex Jimenez are at risk, as are Brighton pair Ferdi Kadioglu and Mats Wieffer.
Across the north, Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka, Everton midfielder James Garner, and Leeds United’s Jayden Bogle and Ethan Ampadu are one caution away from the naughty step.
Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi is one of the title-chasing stars who is almost on the naughty step
Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has already accumulated four yellow cards
In the Midlands, Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams and Morato are in the danger zone, and the same goes for Wolves couplet Matt Doherty and Andre.
Finally, Brentford skipper Nathan Collins – who Daily Mail Sport recently exclusively interviewed – is one misstep away from punishment.
Of course, we would never want to imply that a player would be so unprofessional as to deliberately time their bookings to get a suspension over Christmas. In any case, even if you’re out of the squad, you can’t even guarantee that you wouldn’t be hauled into an executive box.
But West Ham’s Kevin Nolan was, rather famously, often absent in December, though the dates varied. His deliberate stamp on Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson in 2013 made it five Decembers in a row that he had been suspended.
He strongly denied that he did it to bag a holiday. ‘I’ll be working hard on the training ground,’ he said. ‘I’m certainly not getting away with it. I’ll be in on Wednesday while all the other lads are off.
