Tyrick Mitchell’s fouls numbers across the 2024/25 Premier League season were nothing to write home about, averaging just 0.67 fouls per 90 minutes. However, he did see a noticeable uptick in infringements towards the end of the campaign, committing at least one foul in six of his final nine appearances, with two fouls landing in four of those. This weekend, Mitchell faces an especially tricky opponent in Nottingham Forest’s summer signing Dan Ndoye. 

The Swiss international was the most-fouled player in Serie A last season, winning 101 fouls across just 26 starts - an eye-catching average of 4.24 fouls drawn per 90. Ndoye thrives in one-on-one duels - he is one of the best at inviting contact and drawing soft free-kicks in dangerous areas. While he drew just one foul on his Premier League debut against Brentford, he is still adapting to Forest’s system and should steadily see his involvement increase.

With Eberechi Eze on the verge of signing for Arsenal, at the time of writing, Jean-Philippe Mateta looks set to take on greater responsibility in Crystal Palace’s attacking play. His ability to hold the ball up and draw fouls has already been evident this season, as he has landed this bet in all three competitive matches so far. Mateta was fouled twice against Liverpool in the Community Shield, once against Chelsea in the Premier League, and once more midweek in the Conference League clash v Fredrikstad. 

His physical presence makes him a handful for defenders, and this weekend he is likely to be involved in a physical contest against Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic. Oliver Glasner will rely upon Mateta to use his strength to help Palace progress up the pitch, causing him to drop deeper. In doing so, he will also come into direct battles with Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson, who averaged 2.25 and 1.58 fouls per 90 last season, respectively.

Leny Yoro has established himself as a mainstay in Manchester United’s defence under Ruben Amorim and is expected to start at left centre-back once again this weekend. The 19-year-old showed a willingness to engage in physical duels, averaging 0.75 fouls per 90 minutes in away matches, landing this bet in six of his nine starts overall. 

With Amad Diallo likely to return to the starting XI in place of Diogo Dalot, Yoro could find himself slightly more exposed defensively, as Diallo’s attacking instincts often leave space for opponents to exploit. 

Yoro made one foul against Arsenal in gameweek one, as the Frenchman found himself isolated out wide against Viktor Gyokeres. As Dalot pushed forward with his side trailing, Yoro found himself increasingly vulnerable as the game went on. Raul Jimenez promises to be an equally testing matchup, as the Mexican international drew an average of 1.49 fouls per 90 in all competitions.

Sangare and Anderson looked solid as Nottingham Forest’s double pivot in the 3-1 win over Brentford, both completing the full 90 in a dominant performance. Anderson went the whole game without committing a single foul, although it is worth mentioning that Brentford drew the fewest fouls in the Premier League last season, so he will likely be much busier when Forest travel to South London. Selhurst Park is a tough away ground to visit, and Anderson will have to deal with the likes of Mateta and Ismaila Sarr. 

On his last visit to Crystal Palace, Anderson dodged a booking despite racking up three fouls, while his partner Sangare was booked, also making three fouls. The pair were kept incredibly busy, and that trend should persist even without Eze. Last season, Anderson was booked 10 times, with only Morgan Gibbs-White picking up more cautions.

Under Marco Silva, Joao Palhinha set the benchmark for cards in recent years, picking up 13 yellows in the 2023/24 campaign, which was the most in the league. That came after the Portuguese international equalled the all-time Premier League record the season before, accumulating 14 yellows. Lukic has been the man to emulate Palhinha’s role, and his foul and card numbers are equally impressive. 

Last season, Sasa Lukic received 12 yellow cards, tied for the most bookings in the league alongside Liam Delap and Flynn Downes. The Serbian has to be aggressive in midfield to shut down opposition attacks - he committed five fouls last time out against Brighton, and was lucky to escape a booking. With Manchester United up next, a side that drew 19 fouls against Arsenal in their season opener, Lukic looks set for another busy evening in midfield.

Jake O’Brien made 20 appearances for Everton last season, enjoying a more consistent run in the starting XI under David Moyes throughout the second half of the campaign. This season, he has been asked to fill in at right-back, a role that doesn’t suit the natural strengths of the 6ft 5in centre half. On Sunday, he will match up against Kaoru Mitoma, a player renowned for his dribbling prowess, one of the best players at beating his defender in a one-on-one situation. 

The Japan international excels at getting opponents into uncomfortable positions, and O’Brien will likely get tight and look to use his physicality. That, however, carries the risk of a cynical foul, especially if he is dragged out of position. Last season, O’Brien picked up five yellow cards despite committing just 13 fouls in total, highlighting a tendency to commit cynical fouls.