Top 12 most dirtiest EFL Championship teams so far in 2026/27 | OneFootball

FLW runs down the division's worst disciplinary records so far

The Championship is renowned for its physical nature, and the opening weeks of the 2026/27 season have already produced plenty of evidence of that.

With the division now heading into a bumper international break, the early-season numbers offer an insight into which teams have been involved in the most combative matches.

Fouls per game provide the primary measure here, with yellow cards, penalties conceded and individual disciplinary statistics offering further context.

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begin the list with an average of 11.7 fouls per game.

Their disciplinary record is relatively modest by comparison, however, with the south coast club having picked up just five yellow cards so far.

Pompey have played seven games and entered the international break 19th in the Championship with eight points.

11 ? ? Bristol City

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Bristol City are narrowly ahead of Portsmouth, averaging 11.8 fouls per match.

The Robins have received 12 yellow cards and are also joint-top in the Championship for penalties conceded, having given away two so far.

10 ? ? Watford

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Watford have the same foul average as Bristol City but have been considerably more heavily punished by referees.

The Hornets have accumulated 23 yellow cards, the highest total in the Championship so far.

Amin Nabizada leads the way for Watford with three yellow cards, which is joint-second in the division.

Watford have struggled to turn their physical approach into results, though, sitting 20th with eight points from eight games after losing 1-0 at Bristol City before the break.

9 ? ? Charlton Athletic

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Charlton are averaging exactly 12 fouls per game, placing them ninth in the overall ranking.

The Addicks have collected 11 yellow cards and sit ninth in the Championship after eight matches, with 12 points to their name.

Their latest outing saw them beaten 3-1 by Cardiff City, ending a run of mixed results which had seen Charlton remain unbeaten at home.

The numbers suggest a side that is willing to compete physically without being among the division's most heavily booked.

8 ? ? Sheffield United

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Sheffield United also average 12 fouls per match, although their 14 yellow cards give them a slightly higher disciplinary tally than Charlton.

The Blades have endured a difficult start to the campaign and entered the break 18th, with nine points from their opening eight matches.

7 ? ? Preston North End

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Preston are seventh on the list, averaging 12 fouls per game and collecting 19 yellow cards.

Harry Clarke has been one of the division's most prominent players from a disciplinary perspective, with four yellow cards - the joint-most in the Championship.

North End's physical numbers have come during an extremely difficult start to the campaign. Preston sit 23rd with just four points from eight games, having lost six of their opening eight.

Their poor run led to Paul Heckingbottom becoming the first Championship manager to lose his job this season.

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6 ? ? Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves are the highest-ranked team in the list when it comes to league position, averaging 12.4 fouls per game.

They have only picked up seven yellow cards, though, suggesting that their relatively high foul count has not translated into a similarly high number of bookings.

5 ? ? Birmingham City

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Birmingham City sit fifth after averaging 12.5 fouls per game.

The Blues have picked up 17 yellow cards and currently occupy 10th place in the Championship, with 11 points from eight matches.

4 ? ? Millwall

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Millwall move into the top four, averaging 13 fouls per game.

The Lions have collected 11 yellow cards, with Jenson Metcalfe particularly prominent after picking up three – joint-second most in the division.

Millwall entered the international break 11th with 11 points from eight matches.

Their position in this list is therefore another example of how a high foul count does not necessarily correlate with poor results.

3 ? ? Derby County

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Derby County are third, averaging 13.4 fouls per match.

The Rams have collected 18 yellow cards, while Lars-Jorgen Salvesen has been one of the Championship's most frequent individual offenders.

The Derby forward commits 4.0 fouls per 90 minutes, the third-highest figure in the division.

It has been a difficult opening to the season for Derby, who sit 22nd with just five points from eight matches.

John Eustace's position has come under scrutiny, with the Rams' latest fixture ending in a 1-1 draw away at Burnley. Neither side could move out of the relegation zone as a result.