5 players who have been fouled the most since 2016

#3 Jack Grealish (fouled 747 times)

Jack Grealish is yet to fully settle in at Manchester City.

Jack Grealish is the most fouled Premier League player since 2016, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The former Aston Villa talisman drew fouls like there was no tomorrow during his time at Villa Park. His exceptional dribbling skills allowed him to run riot against defenders who had no option but to stop him by hook or crook.

Last summer, the Englishman earned a big-money move to Premier League champions Manchester City. Although he hasn’t been as influential as he would have liked, the Cityzens are enjoying a fruitful season. He will be looking to win his first major trophy this season, with Pep Guardiola's side still competing in three competitions.

The 26-year-old has scored three goals and has bagged as many assists in 25 games for Pep Guardiola’s side. These numbers have brought him his fair share of criticism, but Manchester City's incredible form has seen pundits and fans let it pass for now at least.

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#2 Lionel Messi (fouled 839 times)

Lionel Messi is yet to start firing after joining Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player of all time. Apart from his goalscoring, his passing and dribbling have also caught the eye of football lovers. His low center of gravity, along with his agility and balance, allows him to go past opposition players with ease.

It goes without saying that Messi gets fouled quite often. Teams have deployed two or three players to mark the Argentine magician in the past. If the first player can’t dispossess Messi, the second will. If the second player can’t stop him, the third can bring him down.

But even three man-markers have proved to be insufficient at times.

Even after using such prudent strategies, La Pulga has maintained his consistent goal-scoring record. Since 2016, the former Barcelona winger has drawn 839 fouls. He moved to Paris Saint-Germain last year and is yet to start firing consistently but has been involved in 16 goals for them in 22 matches.

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#1 Neymar Jr. (fouled 1040 times)

Neymar Jr. has been incredible for PSG whenever he's played for them.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Neymar Jr. has been fouled on the most number of occasions since 2016. The Brazilian has a trait of going down too soon. While some fans and experts have criticized the PSG man for diving, he manages to win free-kicks for his team.

Like his teammate Messi, Neymar is gifted with splendid dribbling and ball control. His footwork and trickery are second to none. However, while Messi tries to stay on his feet and continue the attack, Neymar doesn’t need a second invitation to fall over.

The 30-year-old has spent a nice chunk of time in the injury room. If he had even a remotely injury-free career at PSG, the Brazilian superstar could have easily racked up close to 1500 fouls over the last five years. Not to mention, he would have more appearances, goals and assists for the Parisians as well.