Yellow cards are an autmoatic feature of any game - not least the Premier League - but with 14 games into the season, there are some surprising names that have yet to pick up the customary caution that we have come to expect in recent times.
9. Gael Clichy
Pep
Guardiola's switch to a 3-5-2 formation at times this season has seen
Aleksandar Kolarov preferred in the left of defence to Gael Clichy,
nonetheless, the Frenchman still has eight Premier League appearances to
his name this season.
The former Arsenal left
back has managed to avoid the referee's notebook in the games he's
played and maybe it's his lack of agression that has prevented him from
starting more for Manchester City.
8. Ki Sung-yeung
A
tough tackling central midfielder, Ki Seung-Yung is an important part
of the Swansea lineup, but has made sure to keep his game squeaky clean
as of yet
The South Korean
midfielder's statistics are even more impressive given the fact that he
has been chasing the ball for the majority of the season; Swansea City
currently sit bottom of the league.
7. Ahmed Elmohamady
Number of yellow cards for Hull City's Ahmed Elmohamady this season: 0.
Number of red cards for Hull City's Ahmed Elmohamady this season: 1.
Go figure that one out,
in what is probably the most unusual stat of the campaign so far. The
Tigers' Egyptian full back is a constant fixture on the right side of
Mike Phelan's defence, but has somehow managed to keep his record
clean
Aside from the dismissal against Arsenal that is.
6. Glen Johnson
Another
right back making a good name for himself amongst officials this season
is Stoke City's Glen Johnson. The one time England regular has been
back to his best this term for the Potters and is doing it without
drawing yellow cards.
The former Liverpool and
Portsmouth man has helped Mark Hughes' side overcome their slow start
to the campaing and the men from the Britannia Stadium are now in the
top half of the Premier League table.
5. Chris Smalling
Prior
to his injury, Smalling was Jose Mourinho's first choice centre back
and even filled in as captain in Wayne Rooney's absence. The England
international led by example, avoiding a yellow card in his seven top
flight appearances this term.
Smalling's influence
clearly had an impact on his fellow defenders with the likes of Marcos
Rojo and Daley Blind also have yet to be cautioned by a Premier League
referee this season.
4. Ben Gibson
With
the countless attacks coming his way each game, it is amazing to think
that Ben Gibson has avoided a booking this season. It is no wonder that
the Boro defender is tipped for a future England call based on those
statistics.
The 23-year-old has
successfully made the transition from the Championship to the top flight
and if Middlesbrough don't manage to maintain their Premier League
status for next season, Gibson surely will.
3. Toby Alderweireld
Tottenham
Hotpur have sorely missed Toby Alderwiereld, the Belgian derender has
arguably developed into the league's finest defender and the fact that
his record in front of the referees remains clean only goes to
illustrate this point.
Alderweireld's
partnership with Jan Vertonghen has been the cornerstone behind
Tottenham Hotspur's solid defensive record over the past two seasons and
he will need to be fit again if Spurs are to amount to anything this
time round.
2. Mohamed Elneny
Elneny
was bought by Arsene Wenger for his no-nonsense style of play and he
has definitely showed that aspect of his game during his spell in North
London, since signing from Basel last January.
The Egyptian
international, who has made seven league appearances this season, has
yet to pick up a yellow card, an impressive fact when considering that
he is as aggressive as teammates and regular offenders Francis Coquelin
and Granit Xhaka.
1. Wes Morgan
Leicester
City's formidable skipper is not having as good of a season as he was
12 months ago. The man mountain is trying to lead his side to a
respectable defence of their incredible Premier League title triumph,
but they instead look to be heading into a relegation battle.
The Jamaican
international's name has yet to feature in the referee's noteboo, which
is exceptionally surprising in a troubling domestic season for Claudio
Ranieri's men this campaign.
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