The life of a Premier League manager is a precious one; they seldom last as long as they should, with trigger-happy owners desperate to instigate the change their ailing clubs need to remain competitive, whether that’s through surviving the drop or simply staying relevant in the race for European football.
So with 20 bosses fighting for their jobs on a weekly basis, who could be next to leave? With the 2024/25 campaign in its final weeks, there could be clubs contemplating changes ahead of the summer.
Here, our ranking takes us through the managers we think are closest to being shown the exit door. As well as the threat of dismissal, we have also factored in managers wo may be tempted to jump ship, adding some uncertainty to their futures at their respective clubs.
This is how we think the Premier League’s managerial sack race stands at this late stage of the campaign, with our reasoning for each one below:
Rank
Manager
Club
Date appointed
Oliver Glasner
Crystal Palace
February 2024
Arne Slot
Liverpool
May 2025
David Moyes
Everton
January 2025
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal
December 2019
Vitor Pereira
Wolves
December 2024
Unai Emery
Aston Villa
November 2022
Andoni Iraola
Bournemouth
June 2023
Marco Silva
Fulham
July 2021
Thomas Frank
Brentford
October 2018
Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham
June 2023
Enzo Maresca
Chelsea
June 2024
Eddie Howe
Newcastle
November 2021
Pep Guardiola
Man City
July 2016
Nuno Espirito Santo
Nottingham Forest
December 2023
Fabian Hurzeler
Brighton
June 2024
Kieran McKenna
Ipswich
December 2021
Graham Potter
West Ham
January 2025
Ruben Amorim
Man Utd
November 2024
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Leicester
November 2024
Here’s a further look at our rankings in more detail…
1 Oliver Glasner Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner’s tenure at Crystal Palace could hardly have gone better. After comfortably staying up in the 2023/24 season, he picked the Eagles up from a slow start to the most recent campaign and survived with ease once again.
But the crowning glory came in the FA Cup final at Wembley, as Crystal Palace became cup winners for the first time with a historic 1-0 win over Manchester City to write their names into the record books. There is simply no one they’d swap the Austrian for right now.
2 Arne Slot Liverpool
There are few safer hot seats in Europe than the one occupied by Arne Slot at Liverpool. The Dutchman steered the Reds to a pretty comfortable Premier League triumph in his first season in charge as he replaced the great Jurgen Klopp.
Cynics will argue that the competition was nowhere near as fierce, but Liverpool’s status as a top side in English football and Europe looks assured under the former Feyenoord boss, who will look to emulate Jose Mourinho by securing two titles in his first two seasons.
Having not bought anyone of note in the summer (sorry, Federico Chiesa), his success is all the more impressive.
3 David Moyes Everton
It may be a slight stretch to call David Moyes a miracle worker, but even the Friedkin Group must be delighted with how things have gone in the past few months for Everton.
With the Scot drafted in to rescue his old club from relegation ahead of their move to Bramley-Moore Dock, Moyes not only made the Toffees more solid in the wake of Sean Dyche’s exit, but turned them into winners.
Seven wins and counting since January saw Everton coast to top-flight safety, and with only four league defeats since Moyes’ return, the Merseysiders were able to give Goodison Park the send-off it deserved without the threat of demotion hanging over them. There is no one more fitting to kickstart the new era.
4 Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has transformed the Gunners into a European powerhouse. Despite not adding to his FA Cup triumph in 2020, the north Londoners are undoubtedly one of the strongest sides in the league, if not on the continent.
That is a testament to the Spaniard’s work at the Emirates Stadium, with Arteta juggling injuries and suspensions galore in 2024/25 to steer Arsenal to just their third Champions League semi-final and what looks to be a third successive runners-up place in the Premier League.
With a big summer surely in the offing, you can bet Arteta will be backed to keep up the good work.
5 Vitor Pereira Wolves
Vitor Pereira was tasked with saving Wolves following his arrival in December 2024, with the Old Gold still in single figures in terms of points, and five from safety.
A superb run of form – including six straight wins between March and April – effectively secured their survival, even ahead of the likes of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Heading into his first full season, Fosun must be licking their lips over what the Portuguese coach can do with his squad over the long term.
6 Unai Emery Aston Villa
Aston Villa have had a superb time of it under Unai Emery, with Champions League qualification leading to some of Villa Park’s greatest nights.
They have all been made possible by Emery’s work since his appointment in November 2022, which has seen the Villans transformed from Premier League strugglers to Champions League quarter-finalists in less than three years.
With European qualification assured (and perhaps another CL berth), Emery will surely not be going anywhere anytime soon.
7 Andoni Iraola Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola is one of the Premier League’s brightest minds in the dugout. He has taken Bournemouth to the brink of Europe following a superb top-flight campaign that has delivered their highest points total at this level.
That consistency will leave him with plenty of credit in the bank, though a big test will be how he addresses the departure of Dean Huijsen in the summer.
The next step for the Spaniard will be European qualification, and having performed well against the bigger sides in the league, Iraola may yet set his sights on new heights down on the south coast.
8 Marco Silva Fulham
Marco Silva looks at home as Fulham boss, with the Portuguese coach delivering another impressive campaign. Indeed, the Cottagers have only just exited European contention at the back end of the season.
His record at Craven Cottage thus far suggests they will remain an awkward side to face, with cup success or European qualification surely only around the corner if they can keep progressing under his tutelage.
9 Thomas Frank Brentford
How Thomas Frank continues to get results out of Brentford is remarkably impressive. Not panicked by the exit of Ivan Toney in the summer, the Bees have shown they are arguably a better side without him, while the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have steadily improved, demonstrating Frank’s capabilities as a coach.
European qualification remains a slight possibility heading into the final game of the season, and it would be just rewards for a club that is one of the most stable in the Premier League, largely thanks to Frank’s prowess from the dugout.
You get the feeling that as long as Frank remains, Brentford are in good hands.
10 Ange Postecoglou Tottenham
Who knows what the future holds for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur? Anyone with Spurs’ results record would surely have expected a dismissal at some point. But to give credit where it’s due, Daniel Levy’s decision to stick by his man delivered Tottenham that long-awaited trophy following Europa League glory in May.
However, one gets the impression that all is not rosy for the Australian in N17, with Postecoglou appearing to have a fractured relationship with the supporters during the past 10 months.
Whether a European trophy can build bridges and lead to a season more akin to his first in north London remains to be seen, so you do feel that Postecoglou’s future is still in the balance.
