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They’re the undisputed bad boys of the Premier League – but as they prepare to take on the Saints, are Swansea City really sinners?

On the one hand, it’s hard to argue with the red cards that make Garry Monk’s men the worst offenders around with the double dismissal at Blackburn last weekend taking their tally to eight in all competitions.

And only Aston Villa can match the five sending-offs suffered by the Swans from the 22 matches of their league campaign, not even the successful appeal of Wayne Routledge’s red at QPR saving their blushes given Villa have also won an appeal in front of the FA this term.

Yet even aside from the likelihood that manager Monk could point to some debate and doubt in at least some of those decisions, the statistics suggest it is stretching it to label his Swansea a dirty side.

One of most fouled teams

Indeed, as they gear up for Southampton with Gylfi Sigurdsson the latest star unavailable through suspension as he serves a three-game ban, the figures on fouls point to Swansea being more sinned against than anything.

For all Jose Mourinho’s controversial complaints of a ‘campaign’ against his title-seeking Chelsea side, perhaps it is Monk who has more reason to wonder if things really do even themselves out.

After all, even if some of Swansea’s dismissals have been as daft as they have been clear cut, it is surprising to realise that not once have they benefited from a red card for one of their opponents in their 22 games to date. Indeed, Newcastle are the only other side to have gone through the campaign so far having not played a single minute against ten men.

And that despite Swansea being one of the most fouled teams in the top division. Opponents have racked up 284 fouls against Swansea this term, with only fellow passing sides Arsenal and Everton suffering more. The average across the division is 251.

Fouls on Swans Fouls against Swansea City 284

In their games, there has been an average of 12.9 fouls made on Swansea players – 1.5 per game more than the Premier League average.

Perhaps most notably there were a season-high 22 fouls committed by QPR’s players in the New Year’s Day game at Loftus Road, including the dangerous challenge from Karl Henry that brought a red-card earning reaction from Routledge. Having previously asked for a level of protection from officials, this could easily be put forward by Monk to underline his point as to why.

While there have been occasions where they have given as good as they got – making 240 fouls from 22 games themselves – Swansea made less fouls than their opponents in nine of their 22 games and earned more yellows in just five of those fixtures.

Least yellows

And their foul tally is among the lowest with only six sides warranting less whistles from the men in black this season.

Furthermore, despite their reputation for reds, Swansea have collected the least amount of yellow cards in the division with just 31 names having gone into the referees’ books, a figure not including that of Wilfried Bony, Angel Rangel and Jonjo Shelvey whose yellows turned into reds when they picked up second cautions in games against Southampton, Sunderland and Everton.

In response, there have been 47 yellow cards given out to players in games against Swansea, an average of 2.13 per game – higher than the Premier League average of 1.86 with the Swans’ average 1.54.

Yellow card averages 2.13 Average cards per game for teams when playing Swans 1.86 Premier League average 1.54 Average for Swans players

And yet, while the red card average per team is 2.15 – or 0.1 per team per game – Swansea’s Premier League total of five is in stark contrast to the zero offered to opposition.

Of course, what the statistics do not say is the nature of the fouls nor the area of the pitch that they are conceded. Teams can make less fouls but if they are key ones – such as the border-line Lukasz Fabianski one that both the referee and the appeals panel deemed to deny Diafra Sakho an obvious chance of scoring – then they can have more of a impact on the game than a tug of the shirt in the middle of the park.

And while the statistics suggest Monk has reason to brush off criticisms of being a dirty team, it would be wrong to say there isn’t areas of discipline that need addressing. Twice players have ended up getting sent off for two yellows after the first was for something as pointless and avoidable as kicking a ball away.

Players missing games

Plus, it goes without saying – for all his attempts to protect him in public – that any more swinging arms from Shelvey that earned him a retrospective red against Liverpool simply cannot be tolerated, be it him or any other Liberty star.

That incident, with the four game ban that followed, coupled with the latest reds have meant that Swansea’s players have missed 12 games in total this season through suspensions. Whether fair or not, that doesn’t help anyone’s ambitions.

Surely though, even if Swansea can’t be classed as Saints, the statistics suggest they’re not exactly sinners either.

And taking the old adage that things even themselves out over a course of a campaign, Monk must hope for a balancing of the referees’ books in this second-half of the season.

SWANSEA CITY'S REDS - WERE THEY DESERVED?

1 - Wilfried Bony v Southampton (H) - Two bookable offences

The striker warranted a yellow from Jonathan Moss for a 21st minute body-check on Maya Yoshida, for which he could have few complaints. When a scissor-tackle from behind on the same player earned him a second booking with 38 minutes gone, the game was up. One game ban.

Score at the time: 0-0

Full-time score: 0-1

Verdict: Deserved

2 - Angel Rangel v Sunderland (A) - Two bookable offences

Rangel earned an initial yellow 60 minutes into the Stadium of Light clash for throwing the ball away and left himself exposed when Will Buckley sought contact and found it on 81 minutes, Chris Foy brandished a second yellow despite the full-back’s best attempts to get out of the way. One game ban.

Score at the time: 0-0

Full-time score: 0-0

Verdict: Harsh

3 - Federico Fernandez v Liverpool (A) - Serious foul play

The centre-back was given his marching orders in the Capital One Cup tie by Keith Stroud two minutes into injury time after he deemed his challenge on Philippe Coutinho to be dangerous, despite successful attempts to pull his feet away from the tackle. The FA seemingly justified Monk’s frustrations over the club’s treatment by referees with the decision, which came three minutes before Dejan Lovern’s late winner.

Score at the time: 1-1

Full-time score: 2-1

Verdict: Undeserved and overturned

4 - Jonjo Shelvey v Everton (A) - Two bookable offences

Shelvey was in the book after just 24 minutes for kicking the ball away at Goodison and gave Kevin Friend little choice but to flash a second and also the red 18 minutes from time after fouling James McCarthy en route to goal. One game ban.

Score at the time: 0-0

Full-time score: 0-0

Verdict: Deserved

5 - Lukasz Fabianski v West Ham (A) - Denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity

Fabianski was penalised when he rushed out to try and stop Diafra Sakho’s run, his collision not putting the striker off his feet but doing enough in Chris Foy’s eyes to deny him an obvious goal. Sakho ran on and hit the post with a shot from a wide angle but Foy’s whistle had already gone. Replays showed Sakho used his hand to nudge past the Pole but Swansea’s appeal was unsuccessful and the goalkeeper served a one-game ban.

Score at the time: 2-1

Full-time score: 3-1

Verdict: Harsh

6 - Wayne Routledge v QPR (A) - Violent conduct

Anthony Taylor had already earned Monk’s wrath for missing Rob Green’s deliberate hand ball outside the area in the first minute but it was the decision to send Routledge off that really angered the Swans boss, Routledge was ordered off with four minutes remaining for what was deemed to be a kick at Karl Henry following the midfielder’s ugly lunge which had only triggered a caution. Immediately appealed and dismissal rescinded.

Score at the time: 1-0

Full-time score: 1-1

Verdict: Undeserved and overturned

7 - Kyle Bartley v Blackburn Rovers (A) - Denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity

(Image: Action Images / Craig Brough)

Referee Craig Pawson made a seventh minute call that defender Bartley had stopped Josh King’s run onto Mat Kilgallon’s long ball unfairly, the arm across the striker deemed enough to prompt a straight red. Bartley did look like he made a fair move for the ball but was undeniably caught out. One game ban.

Score at the time: 0-0

Full-time score: 3-1

Verdict: Harsh but fair

8 - Gylfi Sigurdsson v Blackburn Rovers (A) - Serious foul play

Sigurdsson’s frustrations at the performance and an unpunished foul on him from Rudy Gestede seconds earlier saw him challenge Chris Taylor from behind with little chance of winning the ball. It appeared a yellow but the lateness and intent may have persuaded official Pawson otherwise. Appeal considered but ruled out, meaning a three-game ban.

Score at the time: 3-1

Full-time score: 3-1

Verdict: Slightly harsh