A small handful of Premier League clubs look set to take advantage of a quirk in the Premier League rules around accumulation of yellow cards - with four London sides set to see their bookings count reset a game earlier than their rivals.
Each year, players who are booked five times between the start of the season and the turn of the year are given an automatic one-game ban.
However, as noted by the Times, the quartet play on New Year's Day rather than New Year's Eve this year, their players will be able to breathe a little easier when playing their 19th game of the season.
Lucky Spurs, unlucky Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/7iRvQBU9Er
These rules benefit Watford, Tottenham, Arsenal and Crystal Palace this season, all of which play their 19th game of the season at the start of the new calendar year.
This means they have what some would deem an unfair advantage over their rivals as six players with four yellow cards have been given an amnesty - although it should be noted that they now have to survive 20 games rather than 19 in the second 'half' of the season.
Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha and James McArthur will all have their cards rescinded by the time they face Arenal.
Tottenham duo Victor Wanyama and Mousa Demebele will also get away with getting another caution whilst Watford striker Troy Deeney would too see his luck come in should he get booked in that game.
A whole host of other players from the Premier League wouldn't be so lucky should they be booked, with Chelsea's Nemanja Matic and David Luiz both one away from a ban, as is Liverpool's Dejan Lovern whist Man City will be hoping Fernando and Aleksandar Kolorov escape the referee's book.
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