Tackling isn’t what it used to be in the Premier League, but we still see our fair share of crunching tackles. Here are the ten dirties players in the league.
The Premier League plays host to some of the greatest players of all time, with some beautiful football on display. It can’t always be the beautiful game however, and there is plenty of tough tackling with no love lost between rivals.
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Here are eight of the dirtiest players in the Premier League right now:
8) Ryan Shawcross – Stoke City
Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross is probably most well known for his leg breaking tackle on Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, but he is a notoriously dirty player in general.
He is rarely seen without his hands all over an opponent in the box, and he is certainly not shy of a bone crunching tackle.
7) Cheick Tiote – Newcastle
Not the dirtiest player in the league by any stretch, but by far one of the most aggressive.
The Ivorian rarely sees out the full 90 minutes without a booking, his overzealousness in the tackle often getting him in trouble.
6) Mathieu Flamini – Arsenal
Arsenal’s midfield enforcer is another player who is more aggressive than dirty, but the Frenchman has been known to go in for the odd dangerous tackle.
Flamini is a very old school player who hasn’t seemed to grasp yet that the game has changed. You can’t tackle like you used to, but Mathieu Flamini still tries his best to.
5) Marouane Fellaini – Manchester United
It’s often hard to tell whether the big haired Belgian is dirty or just clumsy. The former Everton and current Manchester United man regularly seen throwing his weight around.
Fellaini throws elbows like they are going out of fashion, and his size and height allows him to constantly dominate his opponents.
4) Steven N’Zonzi – Stoke City
The second Stoke player in the list, N’Zonzi has an aggressive streak which doesn’t often have a place in football any more.
The French midfielder regularly gets into unnecessary confrontations, usually because of his over the top tackles and forceful style of play.
3) Charlie Adam – Stoke City
Yet another Stoke City player, and hands down the dirtiest of the lot.
Adam has a nasty temper and regularly takes it out on the opposing players. He has been known to stamp, kick, and lash out when things aren’t going his way, and is no stranger to the red card.
2) Lee Cattermole – Sunderland
Cattermole is arguably more prone to a red card than any other player currently in the Premiership, although the Sunderland man has been trying to cool his hot head recently.
Averaging a red card every 26 games at one point, he was ordered off the pitch many times after a mistimed, over the top, or overly aggressive challenge.
1) Joey Barton – QPR
No other candidates for top spot really, with the QPR midfielder the king of Premier League confrontation.
Given a 12 match ban after assaulting a number of Manchester City players, the former Newcastle player just can’t seem to get a handle on his temper.