The Premier League may be only a week old, but it is never too early for some drama. Some teams have started on a good note, others are where they are expected to be, but some are already asking for trouble. Although the season is long, it is not unfathomable to see some managers shown the exit door very soon.
West Ham have started terribly, losing 3-0 on opening day to newly promoted Sunderland and then following it up with a 1-5 defeat to Chelsea at the Olympic Stadium.
Manchester United are not faring any better than they did last season, picking up just 1 point in their opening 2 games. Wolves lost 4-0 on opening day to Man City and then 1-0 to Bournemouth in a weak showing.
Sometimes it doesn’t even take bad performances and results for a manager to lose his job. Sometimes it can simply be down to a strained relationship with the owner or sporting director. It remains to be seen how these teams get on, but it’s never too soon for any manager to lose their job in the Premier League.
Arne Slot remains the least likely to be fired despite the temptation to think Liverpool’s new signings won’t gel well with the team and the lack of centre-back reinforcements.
Following him closely in 19th is Thomas Frank. Despite all the banter that Tottenham receive, it is highly unlikely to see them getting Frank sacked, at least not before Christmas.
Tottenham have started the season remarkably and, despite coming out second best against PSG in the European Super Cup, they should definitely fare better than they did last season.
Next up is Mikel Arteta. Even though he is running out of excuses to deliver the title, Arsenal’s summer investments and the fact that they have finished 2nd three years in a row suggest there is enough there to at least see him finish the season.
Aston Villa have not been great in the first two league games, drawing at home to Newcastle and then losing to Brentford in a rather disappointing showing. Unai Emery has, however, built up a good reputation there and should not fear for his job anytime soon.
Who would have thought Pep Guardiola wouldn’t be 20th in this list, right? Well, Man City have not been themselves for well over 18 months now. Their consistently brilliant performances, which brought them four successive league titles, feel like a thing of the past.
After an impressive opening day, they succumbed to Tottenham at home once again, making Spurs the team Pep has lost to most, together with Liverpool.
Even though Chelsea have a reputation for firing managers, Enzo Maresca should comfortably make it to the end of the season.
Despite questions about his position last season which caused him to eventually stick two fingers up to his doubters, Chelsea have looked good with 4 points from 2 games, filling their boots with goals against West Ham. He should be fine.
Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler comes in next. He has been a steady performer since taking over at Brighton. Despite a subdued start to the season, they should eventually find their feet very soon.
Andoni Iraola closely follows. Bournemouth’s tough start at Liverpool was quickly forgotten after a dominant win at home to Wolves. Considering not many players have left them, they should perform up to expectations this season.
Following closely is David Moyes. West Ham surely wish they still had him in charge. After his impressive revival at Everton last season, he has begun rather well this season. Adding Jack Grealish to an already talented forward line should mean he is fine.
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Fulham’s Marco Silva comes in next. Fulham have a promising manager who now becomes one of the longest-serving in the Premier League. That is expected to continue this season after a decent start despite tough fixtures against Brighton and Manchester United.
Eddie Howe should fare similarly to last season. Though fixtures will increase for the Magpies due to European qualification, they should be alright. The spine of the team has not been disturbed much except for the uncertainty surrounding the striker position. All in all, Eddie should see the end of the season, but he is never far from controversy at Newcastle.
Newly promoted Burnley have won their second game of the season, but Scott Parker is the 9th favourite for the sack. Despite a remarkable Championship campaign last year, Burnley’s previous Premier League stint under Vincent Kompany ended in tears.
Do we expect them to be a bit more conservative this time to stay in the Premier League? That remains to be seen. Crystal Palace won their first major silverware under Oliver Glasner last season, but the squad has not been revamped since. Losing Eze and potentially Guehi does not put him in an enviable position. That makes him the 8th favourite to lose his job next.
Régis Le Bris is the 7th favourite to go. Despite an impressive opening day win against West Ham, a defeat to Burnley looks like the start of a rather difficult run of fixtures for the Black Cats.
Daniel Farke comes in 6th. His last spell in the Premier League with Norwich did not end well. Hopefully, many lessons have been learnt.
An opening-day win against Everton was followed by a thumping by title favourites Arsenal, but those are not the games that will determine Farke’s fate. Rúben Amorim’s Man United tenure may end sooner than expected.
A disappointing start to the season, coupled with his stubbornness to play a system that clearly doesn’t suit his players, could cost him his job sooner rather than later.
Vítor Pereira’s Wolves have looked disappointing in their first two games. Understandable, since they have lost their best player and may be about to lose their main striker too. Looking at their upcoming fixtures, he should be lucky to survive until Christmas.
Talking about losing best players, Keith Andrews is the 3rd favourite to be sacked. Bryan Mbeumo and Wissa’s potential departures should put the club in trouble. Despite a decent start to the season, Brentford should be expected to struggle to keep up with the rest.
It’s a toss-up between West Ham’s Graham Potter and Nottingham Forest’s Nuno Espírito Santo as to who will be the first to go. If ever there were two contrasting stories leading up to a managerial dismissal, this would be it.
Forest enjoyed one of their best seasons in recent times last year. They are in the Europa League, albeit due to some good fortune, and look well-placed to maintain that level this season. Nuno has, however, by his own admission, fallen out with those above him.
Based on what’s been said and the visuals coming out of the club, Nuno should not last long. Graham Potter hasn’t quite adjusted to his role at West Ham. It looks like a match made in hell: a manager whose success has been built on flair paired with a very defensive squad spells disaster everywhere. We think Potter will probably go before Nuno, but it’s very, very close.
