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Foul Play

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Source: Statista

Having secured just 5 wins in the Premier League so far this season, Fulham are one of three teams to be relegated into the Championship in 2021. Accentuating the extent to which the Cottagers have struggled in their return to elite level football, Fulham is the team which has committed fouls most often in 2020/21. Data from CIES Football Observatory has the west London side down as having provoked the referee’s whistle an average of every 7 minutes and 48 seconds.

Fellow relegated clubs join Fulham at this end of the list too, with West Brom and rock bottom Sheffield United clocking in at 08:56 and 07:56, respectively. Close by though is a team with a far more successful season behind them. Manchester United drew the man in black’s ire every 7 minutes and 56 seconds on average, placing them in second place on this ranking – equal to their position in the league as the current campaign draws to a close.

The presence of Champions League finalists Chelsea as well as Spurs alongside United on this list show that a high rate of fouling is not always a sign of a struggling side, but is also related to play style and tactics. Backing this up is the presence of Arsenal at the other end of the ranking. With a foul every 10 minutes and 44 seconds, the Gunners are the cleanest team in the Premier League. This has hardly paid dividends for them though, with the once ‘Invincibles’ languishing down in 9th as another disappointing season comes to a close.

Foul Play

(Do Not) Let the Games Begin!

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Source: Statista

Could Japan cancel the Tokyo Olympics over coronavirus?

Recent comments from Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga have driven speculation that the Summer Games could be called off. As COVID-19 infections rise in Japan, public support for the Games continues to drop. Just around 70 days ahead of the Games’ opening date, a poll conducted by TBS News found that 65 percent of Japanese wanted the Games cancelled or postponed again, with 37 percent voting to scrap the event altogether and 28 percent calling for another delay.

Japan has extended the state of emergency in Tokyo and three other areas until the end of May and is struggling to contain a surge of COVID-19 cases, raising questions about whether the Games should go ahead. Japan’s vaccination rate is also the lowest among wealthy nations.

The Olympic Games, which were already delayed by a year due to the pandemic, are set to open on July 23, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and organisers insisting that measures will be put in place to ensure the safety of athletes and visitors.

As the following chart shows, the Summer Olympics have only been cancelled three times in the modern era dating back to 1896. The 1916 games in Berlin fell victim to World War I and the 1940 and 1944 games, scheduled to be held in Helsinki and London, respectively, were cancelled due to World War II. Interestingly, the 2016 Rio games were also clouded by a health crisis, as many athletes refused to participate due to the ongoing outbreak of the Zika virus.

(Do Not) Let the Games Begin!