Mariah Carey's classic festive wish might be getting a rather unwanted remix in Premier League dressing rooms this December. For a significant group of top-flight footballers, the lyrics could well be: "All I want for Christmas is... a one-match ban."
The Festive Disciplinary Tightrope
A grand total of 22 Premier League stars are currently walking a disciplinary tightrope, each just one yellow card away from earning an enforced Christmas break. According to league regulations, any player who receives five cautions within the first 19 matches of the season must serve an automatic one-match suspension.
This rule threatens to deprive several clubs of key personnel during the busy festive schedule, with fixtures set for December 26th, 27th, and 28th. While suspended players would typically still be required to train and watch their team from the stands, the image of them lounging at home is a tempting—if mischievous—thought for rival fans.
Title Challengers and Key Men at Risk
The potential bans could have a major impact at the top of the table. Arsenal's defensive pillar, Martin Zubimendi, finds himself on four yellows. Over at Manchester City, the situation is even more precarious, with both goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and playmaker Bernardo Silva also sitting on four cautions each.
Aston Villa's push for European places could be hampered if Matty Cash or Boubacar Kamara pick up another booking. In the race for Champions League spots, Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu and Tottenham's Pedro Porro are also in the danger zone.
Liverpool, seeking consistency this season, will be desperate for Dominik Szoboszlai—often their standout performer—to avoid a fifth yellow that would rule him out.
The Full Naughty List: Players One Booking From a Ban
The players currently on four yellow cards, and therefore at risk of suspension, span the entire league:
- Arsenal: Martin Zubimendi
- Manchester City: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Bernardo Silva
- Aston Villa: Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara
- Manchester United: Patrick Dorgu
- Tottenham Hotspur: Pedro Porro
- Liverpool: Dominik Szoboszlai
- Newcastle United: Bruno Guimaraes
- Brighton & Hove Albion: Ferdi Kadioglu, Mats Wieffer
- Bournemouth: Antoine Semenyo, Alex Jimenez
- Brentford: Nathan Collins
- Everton: James Garner
- Leeds United: Jayden Bogle, Ethan Ampadu
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Matt Doherty, Andre
- Nottingham Forest: Neco Williams, Morato
- Sunderland: Granit Xhaka
A History of Festive Suspensions
While no one would suggest a professional would deliberately earn a suspension, the festive period has seen its share of convenient bans in the past. Most notably, former West Ham and Bolton midfielder Kevin Nolan was suspended for five consecutive Decembers during his career.
The most infamous incident was a deliberate stamp on Liverpool's Jordan Henderson in 2013, which secured his fifth December suspension in a row. Nolan strongly denied orchestrating a holiday, insisting, "I’ll be working hard on the training ground. I’m certainly not getting away with it."
For the current crop of players on the brink, the message from their managers will be clear: tread carefully. The cost of a mistimed tackle or a moment of dissent in the coming games could be a lonely Christmas spent watching from the sidelines, while their teammates battle for crucial points.
