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The five dirtiest Premier League players this season

By Ryan Willox

SWANSEA, WALES - NOVEMBER 06: Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester United at Liberty Stadium on November 6, 2016 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
SWANSEA, WALES - NOVEMBER 06: Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester United at Liberty Stadium on November 6, 2016 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /
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BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 05: Steven Pienaar of Sunderland walks off the ptich after being sent off during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Sunderland at Vitality Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 05: Steven Pienaar of Sunderland walks off the ptich after being sent off during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Sunderland at Vitality Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /

1. Steven Pienaar

Are we saying that Sunderland’s Steven Pienaar is naturally a dirty player? Not at all, however he is the dirtiest player so far this season.

Pienaar is the only player with a red card on the list but of the players who have been ordered off this season, only three have played fewer minutes than the South African and none have as many yellow cards (3).

In addition, with those three yellows and a red, Pienaar tops the disciplinary points table which as previously mentioned accounts purely for cards and not fouls or minutes played.

Somewhat in common with Arnautovic, Pienaar’s tribulations speak very much to a high level of frustration with how his club side’s season is going.

Rock bottom of the table, with one win in eleven games Sunderland need to tread that fine line between being committed and being over zealous.

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It is a line Pienaar has not yet mastered this season. As evidence of this, his sending off against Bournemouth is well worth a youtube.

Having been booked shortly before half, Pienaar then clatters through Junior Stainslas in no-man’s land for a thoroughly earned second yellow.

The camera pans to bemused manager David Moyes, clearly wondering where his midfielder’s last braincell has vanished too.

So there you have it, Steven Pienaar – maybe not a dirty player, but the dirtiest Premier League player so far. There is plenty of time for other’s to catch up, though.

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