While some clubs sprang a surprise last term and seem to have their hierarchical structures firmly in place, the majority of clubs decided to go for something different, with as many as 50 per cent of the bosses in this season’s division either managing a different club or being completely new to England’s top flight.

And, in this results-driven business, the margin for error is razor-thin, with Ruben Amorim and Thomas Frank, who lost their respective positions at Manchester United and Tottenham last term, being the perfect examples of that.

Here, we explore the precarious world of Premier League management, assessing each manager’s likelihood of facing the sack this season. From those navigating the treacherous waters of relegation battles to those leading title-chasing sides, we examine the factors that could impact managerial job security – from team performance trends and the patience of the boardroom to the constant glare of media attention.

Read on to find out which managers are sitting comfortably in their positions and which ones might need to keep a wary eye on the shadows of potential successors.

Ranking factors

• Overall performance in the Premier League.
• Overall performance in external competitions, including the FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League.
• Recent form.
• Expectations of the club’s hierarchy.
• Manager’s legacy within the club.
• Fans’ feelings towards the manager.

20 Mikel Arteta, Arsenal

Last season’s league finish: 1st

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

After finishing as second in the Premier League for three seasons in a row, the Gunners finally ended a 22-year drought last season by winning gold. Silverware is the currency of success, but there’s now a strong feeling that Mikel Arteta has the tools at his disposal to keep pushing on for even dizzier heights after coming oh-so close to success in the Champions League and League Cup, too.

The hierarchy knows full well that they have a manager capable of turning one success into a dynasty. Funds were there, it seemed, to pluck Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid, showing how ambitious the club are even if a deal could be done. There’s no question that Arsenal are favourites for back-to-back titles, and an unbeaten start only cements his position further.

19 Keith Andrews, Brentford

Last season’s league finish: 9th

Brentford fans were dreading the day Thomas Frank decided to move on, and that came last summer as he decided to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur. Replacing the Dane was always going to be a tough task for the Bees’ higher-ups and their bold appointment of Keith Andrews raised eyebrows.

Andrews was a member of Frank’s backroom team, working as the team’s set-piece coach and gaining valuable experience for a first-team management role. The Irishman hasn’t had to work his way through the footballing pyramid as he’s been thrown into a Premier League job from the off. Risky, indeed, but he’s settled in extremely well.

He led the club to a ninth-placed finish in his debut season as a Premier League manager and his side are unbeaten after four matches to start the 26/27 campaign. His job is as secure as any in England right now as his side sit firmly in the top 10.

18 Enzo Maresca, Manchester City

Last season’s league finish: 2nd

Lee Smith via Reuters

Enzo Maresca won two trophies across his 18 months at Chelsea – the Club World Cup and Europa Conference League – and he’s now well-equipped to take Pep Guardiola’s baton at Manchester City to continue an era of dominance at the Etihad Stadium.

The Cityzens will be hoping the good times keep rolling, rather than see all their good work slip through their fingers like it did when their red neighbours bid farewell to their best-ever tactician. Maresca should get the time, space, and funds to do what he wants with the team, and it’s difficult to imagine there will be much of a drop-off. So far, they have won every match since a 3-0 loss in the much-debated Community Shield, including a 1-0 victory over fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.

17 Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton and Hove Albion

Last season’s league finish: 8th

Replacing Roberto De Zerbi was no mean feat, but the arrival of former St Pauli boss Fabian Hurzeler has seemingly proven why many think Brighton owner Tony Bloom is one of the best business-minded custodians in the beautiful game. He’s unearthed one of the most exciting tacticians in Europe in Hurzeler.

In February 2025, their humiliating 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest could have caused turmoil at the Amex, but Texas-born Hurzeler and his side put it behind them and showed real character to maintain steady, if not particularly amazing, league form to finish eighth. He then followed up that feat by doing the same last term, and he will be expected to be able to take the Seagulls back into European football of some kind soon enough if he continues the way he has.

16 Regis Le Bris, Sunderland

Last season’s league finish: 7th

“No risk, no reward” should be a phrase painted on every wall of the Sunderland owners’ offices, as it perfectly sums up the appointment of Regis Le Bris. They took an international gamble on the French coach who had no prior experience in English football and was still relatively new to senior management.

There is no doubt that Le Bris is among the safest managers after the Black Cats’ Wembley heroics that clinched their return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, before then taking them to qualification for the Europa Conference League a year later. It remains to be seen how well he juggles an extra competition, but constant backing from the club benefactors means he should have the squad depth to cope.

15 Xabi Alonso, Chelsea

Last season’s league finish: 10th

REUTERS/Hollie Adams via Action Images

Chelsea have had six total managers taking charge across permanent and interim roles since the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital takeover in May 2022. Xabi Alonso, no matter how good he was at Bayer Leverkusen’s helm, will inevitably feel the heat in the Stamford Bridge technical area.

The problem may not be Alonso himself, but rather the fact that his American boss loves taking too much of the power away from those who know more about management than him. It was a similar issue the retired midfielder faced at Real Madrid, so he will be hoping that Boehly has surely got his ducks in the right order this time, as early results suggest he could be a title contender if his defensive issues are sorted out quick enough.

14 Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle United

Last season’s league finish: 12th

REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari via Action Images

A student of the Ralf Rangnick school of coaching who takes inspiration from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, Matthias Jaissle has found Newcastle United at a low ebb following a disappointing 12th-place finish in 2026/27. He will be expected to hit the ground running after taking over from Eddie Howe, with the club’s owners keen to get back on track in their vision for the future.

However, the Magpies have lost a number of key players during the transfer window, with Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes among those to depart the north-east in big-money moves, while Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett left following the expiry of their contracts. Despite those departures, Newcastle have started the season well, drawing against Liverpool and Bournemouth and beating Tottenham, and that’s a credit to the new man.

13 David Moyes, Everton

Last season’s league finish: 13th

The times were a-changing at Everton following the return of David Moyes a little over a season ago, as he made an immediate impact after replacing Sean Dyche in January 2025. His poorly performing Toffees side were in the midst of yet another relegation battle after being hit with a 10-point deduction for Financial Fair Play breaches.

The Merseyside Blues are right back on track under Moyes’ watch, though, with The Freidkin Group now running the club. James Tarkowski suggested that they were aiming for Europe, and you wouldn’t put it past Moyes fulfilling that ambition, even if last season saw their form dip during the second half of the campaign. A 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace and draws against Bournemouth, Tottenham and Man United, to kick off is at least a strong way to start 2026/27.

12 Andoni Iraola, Liverpool

Last season’s league finish: 5th

REUTERS/Phil Noble via Action Images

If there’s any team in world football that stands by the ethos that managers need time, it’s Liverpool. In many cases, Anfield’s helmsman is revered, cherished, and held in higher regard than the players. It’s a rare club tradition, but one that stretches as far back as the pre-Shankly years, with Jurgen Klopp’s tenure the perfect encapsulation of such a notion.

Because of this, Andoni Iraola should be feeling pretty cosy for a while on Merseyside. He will receive the full backing of FSG and his new supporters, unless his values go down the drain like was the case with his predecessor, Arne Slot. It would seem Anfield’s residents would love a personality and playing style of Klopp’s stature, and the Spaniard might fulfil that desire well if he can put an end to three draws from four matches.

11 Daniel Farke, Leeds United

Last season’s league finish: 14th

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

When there is talk and murmurs of your owners looking at potential replacements after you achieve promotion to the Premier League, you know you’re in for a bumpy ride. That’s the situation Daniel Farke found himself in after guiding Leeds United to the Championship title last season and returning them to the promised land of English football.

Farke was feeling the heat in April, despite his Peacocks side having already sealed promotion at the time. The German perhaps wasn’t the Hollywood name the 49ers wanted at the helm, with shock links to three-time Premier League title-winner Jose Mourinho emerging. But there was no managerial change, and the 49-year-old was handed the chance to prove he’s the right man for the job.

So far, so good. After all, beating Forest 1-0 away from home in his opening game of the new campaign is the perfect way to begin proving that second-season syndrome is just a myth, and they are sitting just outside the top 10 with a game-in-hand as things stand.