Premier League Sack Race Power Rankings: Who’s Safe and Who’s Sweating? (20–11)

The business end of the season has arrived and, with it, the familiar creak of the managerial merry-go-round limbering up. We’ve already seen big names bite the dust — Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and Thomas Frank at Tottenham — a sharp reminder that in this league, sentiment doesn’t last as long as a goal-kick. This is the pointy end of the calendar where patience runs thin, results rule, and the next phone call can change a career — but these gaffers should be among the safer seats… for now. If you fancy a flutter on how the drama unfolds, our pick of the best betting sites will keep you in the loop.

20. Mikel Arteta — Arsenal

Last season: 2nd. It wasn’t flawless from Arsenal, but Arteta’s project still looks robust. Injuries to Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz hurt the rhythm, yet Declan Rice has emerged as the standard-bearer-in-waiting and was immense. Europe offered genuine signs of stature too, with a Champions League semi-final before falling to eventual winners PSG. Yes, they’ve had to watch Liverpool and rivals Spurs lift silverware, and a hot start to 2026 has cooled slightly, but the Gunners remain favourites to finally land top spot. Arteta’s seat? About as safe as it gets.

19. Régis Le Bris — Sunderland

Last season: Promoted. Sunderland rolled the dice on Le Bris and hit the jackpot. A smart tactician unafraid to tweak for the opponent, he’s meshed neatly with a young core including Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham. Handing the armband to Granit Xhaka looks a masterstroke, adding steel and standards. Of the promoted trio, the Black Cats look the most streetwise; mid-table and clear of the muck, there’s no appetite on Wearside for upheaval.

18. Pep Guardiola — Manchester City

Last season: 3rd. By City’s skyscraper standards, the post-Rodri ACL slump was a nosedive, yet if Pep were going to be binned, it would’ve happened then. Instead, he inked a new deal to 2027, oversaw a refresh under sporting director Hugo Viana, and said farewell to Kevin De Bruyne with a roster reboot: Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Aït-Nouri among the new toys. City are back sniffing trophies — Carabao Cup final booked and right on Arsenal’s shoulder. Whispers persist that Pep’s English chapter could be nearing its epilogue, but sacking him? Behave.

17. Keith Andrews — Brentford

Last season: 10th. A brave call replacing Thomas Frank with his set-piece lieutenant, but the Irishman’s settled in smartly. Factor in the exits — Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United and former skipper Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal — and it looks even better. Statement wins over Liverpool (3-2), United (3-1) and a home-and-away sweep of Newcastle show they can still punch up. Europe is a live target. For a rookie top-flight boss, Andrews looks anything but fragile.

16. Michael Carrick — Manchester United

Last season: 15th. After Amorim’s short-lived stint, United turned to Carrick as the steady hand with no long-term promises dangled. The club legend bump is real — Old Trafford has its roar back — and he’s already topped Amorim’s best winning run. A draw with West Ham was followed by a composed win over Everton; a late slip against Newcastle stung but hasn’t altered the mood. With only 17 games on his slate after the cup exits, there’s a sense of calm. He’s even favourite for the permanent gig — hardly the profile of a man on the brink.

15. Unai Emery — Aston Villa

Last season: 6th. Emery rebuilt his English reputation the hard way — by making Villa relevant and ravenous. A taste of Champions League football has whetted appetites and reset expectations. But 2026 has been sticky: out of the FA Cup to Newcastle and beaten by Arsenal, Everton, Brentford, Chelsea and bottom boys Wolves. This is where Emery earns his coin — stop the skid and re-aim for the top four. Even after a wobble, his job isn’t in danger, but the standards he’s set won’t tolerate drift.

14. Liam Rosenior — Chelsea

Last season: 4th. Enzo Maresca’s New Year’s Day exit had the whiff of Chelsea-chaos, but in came Rosenior on a six-and-a-half-year pact — a vote of long-term faith rare in SW6. The debut reel is mixed: smash-ups of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa tempered by maddening draws with Leeds and Burnley. The killer stat? Nineteen points tossed away from winning positions this season. The football has ideas, the game management needs teeth. He’s safe for now, but the brief is simple: sharpen up.

13. Marco Silva — Fulham

Last season: 11th. Forever rebuilding, forever competitive — Silva’s Fulham remain the Premier League’s great overachievers. An FA Cup semi-final and a comfy mid-table berth underlined his touch. The summer was quiet, but keeping Rodrigo Muniz (now tied down) and Antonee Robinson mattered, and Oscar Bobb’s January arrival adds guile. Fans adore him, the board respect him; the only wrinkle is the contract ticking down with under a year left. Stability is there — provided ownership matches his ambition.

12. Andoni Iraola — Bournemouth

Last season: 9th. Remember the uproar when Gary O’Neil was binned? Looks daft now. Iraola has turned the Cherries into fearless street-fighters — a 3-0 at Old Trafford and a league double over Arsenal last term weren’t accidents. The talent drain has been relentless — Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool, Ilya Zabarnyi to PSG and now Antoine Semenyo to Man City — yet the style survives. After a grim festive spell, they’ve steadied, unbeaten in the league since a 3-2 loss to Arsenal in early January. Sack talk? Not a chance.

11. David Moyes — Everton

Last season: 13th. Back to the future at Goodison, where Moyes returned mid-crisis after a 10-point wallop from the auditors. With The Friedkin Group at the helm and Jack Grealish through the door on loan, Everton have rediscovered their snarl and climbed to safety with a platform to build. The terrace chatter about a European push — at least the Conference League — doesn’t feel fanciful. Moyes has reinstalled identity and grit; this is a project on the up, not a P45 waiting to happen.

That’s the safest ten in our sack race countdown. The further down we go, the warmer the seats get — and the more the shadows of would-be successors start to loom. Buckle up.