Are Premier League referees treating every club the same?

Every fanbase has a story about the referee who has it in for them. The Premier League winner odds are shaped by results, but the officiating behind those results deserves a closer look. Here is what the discipline data and the Premier League’s own review panel say about how each club is refereed.

Fouls do not always bring cards

The same number of fouls can bring different punishment. At the time of writing, Bournemouth and Coventry City have both committed 60 in five league games, yet Bournemouth have been booked 14 times and Coventry four. Promoted Hull City have 18 yellow cards, the most in the division, from just 50 fouls. Arsenal have committed 51 and picked up seven. Nottingham Forest have committed the most fouls, 75, and been booked 13 times.

Foden off, Fernandes untouched

The biggest flashpoint so far came at Old Trafford on 13 September. Bruno Fernandes fouled Phil Foden and then appeared to catch him with his boot while he was on the ground. Foden kicked out from the floor and Michael Oliver showed him a straight red card in the 23rd minute.

Fernandes was not even booked. Gary Neville said he was “surprised that Fernandes has got away without a booking”, and Enzo Maresca accepted Foden’s red while calling Fernandes’s action “a clear red card” too.

City’s winner should not have stood

Manchester United then lost that derby to a goal that should never have counted. Erling Haaland scored the only goal on the hour from Josko Gvardiol’s cross, but Enzo Fernandez was offside and tried to play the ball first. The flag went up, and VAR Matt Donohue overturned it.

Pro Ref, the body formerly known as PGMOL, admitted “an error of judgement”. The Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel voted 5-0 that the VAR was wrong to award the goal.

Arsenal have been wronged twice

The champions have the strongest case of all. In their 1-0 win at Aston Villa, Ian Maatsen caught Bruno Guimaraes in the eighth minute of stoppage time without touching the ball. The KMI panel ruled 5-0 that it should have been a penalty and a second yellow card.

At Sunderland on 12 September, John Brooks penalised Ezri Konsa for holding Dan Ballard at a corner. The panel ruled unanimously that Ballard had pulled Konsa down. David Raya saved Enzo Le Fee’s penalty and Arsenal won 2-0, but Mikel Arteta said: “At this level with all the work we put in, this cannot happen.”

Spurs are still waiting for a penalty

Nine penalties have been awarded in the league this season. Sunderland have had two, seven other clubs one each, and Tottenham none.

Their last came against Brighton on 25 May 2025, which makes it 43 league matches without one. Spurs and Aston Villa were the only clubs to go through 2025-26 without a spot-kick. Brentford got 10 that season, and Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leeds United eight each.

Is anyone benefiting?

Most of the card data follows behaviour. Tottenham were booked 101 times in 2025-26, more than any other club, and committed 462 fouls, second only to Wolves. Arsenal won the title with 51 yellows, the fewest, and no reds.

The penalty gap is harder to explain away, and inconsistency is the real grievance. Anyone studying the football odds for a tight Spurs game should not expect a soft penalty to rescue them.