Premier League Sack Race: Safe Seats to Hot Seats (20–11)

The Premier League carousel never truly stops; it just pauses for breath. We’re into the business end now, where one ropey month can have chairmen twitching and agents whispering. Ruben Amorim’s swift exit after just 14 months at Manchester United is the latest cautionary tale, while Arne Slot’s title-winning bow at Liverpool has bought him more than a few IOUs in the boardroom.

This is the sack race as it stands: some in cushioned chairs, others dancing on trapdoors.

Our rankings weigh up performance trends, injury context, boardroom mood, transfer churn, fan sentiment and the relentless glare of headlines. If you’re sizing up the odds, our guide to the best betting sites is a handy companion.

20) Mikel Arteta — Arsenal

Last season: 2nd

Three straight years as runners-up is a hard pill to swallow, but Arteta’s Arsenal look every inch a title outfit again. The Gunners navigated injury trouble to Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, leaned on Declan Rice’s burgeoning leadership and went deep in Europe, bowing out in the Champions League semis to eventual winners PSG. With Liverpool and Spurs lifting silver recently, the pressure’s real — yet Arsenal hit New Year 2026 at the summit and playing with authority. Arteta’s seat? Comfier than a padded dugout.

19) Unai Emery — Aston Villa

Last season: 6th

Emery’s renaissance in the Midlands continues. Champions League nights stretched the squad, but Villa have come roaring back with Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and summer arrival Evan Guessand sparking in attack. Monchi’s departure in September has coincided with clarity of direction, and a one-defeat-in-15 surge thrust them back into the European mix — even stirring outside talk of a title tilt. That 4-1 lesson from Arsenal shows the gap to elite, but Emery’s job security isn’t up for debate.

18) Régis Le Bris — Sunderland

Last season: Promoted

It was a bold hire — a French coach without English experience — but Sunderland’s leap has landed sweetly. Le Bris masterminded promotion at Wembley, trusts young sparks like Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham, and made a shrewd call handing the armband to Granit Xhaka. Add a derby triumph over Newcastle, and you’ve got a Mackem fanbase fully bought in. Of the promoted trio, the Black Cats look best set to stick. Sack threat? Minimal.

17) Pep Guardiola — Manchester City

Last season: 3rd

A rare stumble for City after Rodri’s ACL blow, the title slipping away and the aura wobbling. Guardiola quashed exit murmurs with a fresh deal through 2027, and the club reset smartly: sporting director Hugo Viana through the door, Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Aït-Nouri adding fresh legs, while Kevin De Bruyne waved goodbye. Erling Haaland’s on a mission to reel in Arsenal, but a meek 2-0 derby loss to United was a jolt. Still, City don’t sack Pep — not unless the floor caves in.

16) Keith Andrews — Brentford

Last season: 10th

Replacing Thomas Frank was a beast of a brief, yet Andrews — elevated from set-piece sage to main man — has navigated it with nous. This is a remodelled Bees side minus Bryan Mbeumo (to United) and ex-captain Christian Nørgaard (to Arsenal), but they’ve still scalped Liverpool (3-2), United (3-1) and Newcastle (3-1). There’ll be bumps, there always are, but Andrews has bought time with smart tweaks and big-game punch.

15) Michael Carrick — Manchester United

Last season: 15th

United wanted a steady hand after Amorim’s exit, and Carrick — on a short-term brief — has given them exactly that. He’s a club great, the Stretford End knows it, and the perfect start — a 2-0 win over City — set the tone. With no cup distractions, only 17 league games fall under his watch. The brief is simple: restore order and make a dash for the top four. Unless it unravels spectacularly, he’s not getting the bullet.

14) Liam Rosenior — Chelsea

Last season: 4th

New Year’s Day brought the chop for Enzo Maresca after form dipped and relations frayed. In came Rosenior, lauded for his Strasbourg work but untested at this altitude, on a whopping six-and-a-half-year deal. Early signs? Mixed in the cups, then a tidy 2-0 league win to get the ball rolling. Chelsea’s model can turn in a heartbeat, but for now the hierarchy are backing their project coach. His risk profile sits mid-table.

13) Marco Silva — Fulham

Last season: 11th

Silva keeps quietly punching above Fulham’s weight, even as key players routinely exit stage left. An FA Cup semi-final and a solid league finish underlined his work, while the summer was about retention more than revolution — Rodrigo Muniz penned new terms and Antonee Robinson stayed. The twist? His contract has less than a year to run. He’s adored in SW6, but the lack of clarity invites noise. Sack risk is low; saga risk is high.

12) Andoni Iraola — Bournemouth

Last season: 9th

Remember the flak Bournemouth took for binning Gary O’Neil? Ancient history. Iraola has sculpted a front-foot, fearless side that not only thumped United 3-0 at Old Trafford, but also did the double over Arsenal last term. Even with churn — Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool, Ilya Zabarnyi to PSG and now Antoine Semenyo off to City — the Cherries punched Liverpool 3-2 last time out. He’s more likely to be poached than pushed.

11) David Moyes — Everton

Last season: 13th

Moyes returned in January 2025 to douse another Goodison fire after a 10-point FFP hit. With the Freidkin Group steering the ship, Everton finished 13th and found their snarl again. James Tarkowski’s talk of Europe doesn’t feel fanciful, and the Jack Grealish loan adds guile. A run of one win in eight set nerves jangling, but an excellent win at Villa steadied the ship. He’s earned breathing space — though Everton never do dull for long.

That’s the state of play from 20 down to 11. The closer you get to the drop zone (and the boardroom budget), the quicker temperatures rise. Part two will separate the merely nervous from the truly precarious.