Premier League Sack Race Power Rankings: Who’s Safe and Who’s Sweating?

The Premier League’s cold months are here, the fixtures are relentless, and the dugout drama is simmering nicely. We’ve all seen this film before: one bad run, a restless board, and suddenly the technical area’s revolving door is spinning again. Ruben Amorim’s stop–start Manchester United tenure has already turned the temperature up at Old Trafford, while Arne Slot’s title-winning debut at Liverpool bought him time and trust. And with Chelsea currently managerless after Enzo Maresca’s New Year’s Day exit, this rundown covers the 19 active gaffers only.

Quick word before we dive in: this is a temperature check, not a call for pitchforks. If you track odds as closely as xG, you’ll know the market ebbs and flows — and for the latest flutter-friendly chatter, try best betting sites.

How we’re judging it

It’s a cocktail of current results, boardroom patience, injury context, European load, and that ever-present media glare. From the bulletproof to the boys who might be glancing over their shoulder, here’s the sack race, ranked from least likely to most likely to cop the chop.

19) Mikel Arteta — Arsenal

Last season: 2nd. Another campaign of “so near yet so far,” a Champions League semi-final ended by eventual winners PSG, and injuries to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz didn’t help. Still, with Declan Rice running games and a blistering start that had the Gunners top heading into 2026, Arteta’s project is robust. Yes, the trophy cabinet has been outpaced by rivals — Spurs and Liverpool both paraded silver — but there’s zero appetite at the Emirates to change the architect. Safest of the lot.

18) Pep Guardiola — Manchester City

Last season: 3rd. City hit turbulence after Rodri’s ACL blow and finally loosened their grip on the crown. Any talk of an axe is fantasy: Guardiola inked a new deal through 2027, Kevin De Bruyne has had his Etihad farewell, and sporting director Hugo Viana has refreshed the squad with Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Aït-Nouri. Seven straight wins with Erling Haaland on a tear suggest a reset in motion. Pep goes when Pep decides.

17) Unai Emery — Aston Villa

Last season: 6th. Emery has rebranded Villa as snarling, savvy and European-worthy. The Champions League schedule tested squad depth and missing the top five on the final day stung, but the bounce-back has been emphatic: a statement 2–1 over Manchester United, even if a 4–1 thumping by Arsenal showed the gap to elite consistency. With Monchi moving on in September at Emery’s behest and the front line of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Evan Guessand buzzing, Villa Park is firmly behind its headmaster.

16) Régis Le Bris — Sunderland

Last season: Promoted. Sunderland gambled on a cerebral French coach with minimal English football mileage and have been repaid with smart tactics and youth development. Granit Xhaka wearing the armband brings steel and standards, Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham bring legs and spark, and a derby win over Newcastle has banked serious goodwill. Of the promoted trio, the Black Cats look best equipped to stay up — Le Bris’ seat is cool to the touch.

15) Keith Andrews — Brentford

Last season: 10th. Following Thomas Frank was never going to be a doddle, but the former set-piece coach has stepped up without blinking. Context matters: Bryan Mbeumo’s gone to Manchester United, skipper Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal, and yet Andrews has coaxed statement wins — Liverpool 3–2, Manchester United 3–1, Newcastle 3–1. The jury’s still out long-term, but for now he’s answering the exam questions.

14) David Moyes — Everton

Last season: 13th. Back at Goodison since January 2025, Moyes steadied a listing ship hammered by a 10-point deduction. With the Friedkin Group now in charge, there’s coherence and ambition again. Jack Grealish on loan adds guile, James Tarkowski talks Europe without sounding daft, and Everton are once more a nightmare to play against. Unless form falls off a cliff, Moyes is as safe as an early long throw.

13) Oliver Glasner — Crystal Palace

Last season: 12th (FA Cup winners). Palace’s first major trophy changed the club’s posture overnight. Glasner has a defined, front-foot identity and the backbone to call out tactical flaws — then fix them. Doing it without Eberechi Eze for stretches only burnishes the job. A 19-game unbeaten run, ended at Everton, underlined the stability; with his deal up in the summer, it’ll be Glasner choosing his destiny, not the board.

12) Andoni Iraola — Bournemouth

Last season: 9th. The decision to hire Iraola looks smarter by the week. He’s built a fearless, organised side that can bloody noses — a 3–0 at Old Trafford and a league double over last season’s runners-up Arsenal prove it. Even after losing Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Milos Kerkez (Liverpool) and Ilya Zabarnyi (PSG), Antoine Semenyo’s rise keeps them competitive for the European spots. If there’s a risk, it’s a bigger fish circling, not Bournemouth swinging the axe.

11) Fabian Hürzeler — Brighton

Last season: 8th. The Premier League’s youngest permanent manager (31 years, 173 days at appointment) has handled the post-De Zerbi handover with poise. A 7–0 humiliation at Nottingham Forest in February 2025 could’ve spooked the room; instead, Brighton reset and kicked on. The next step is a cup run to match the performances. A touch of inexperience lingers, but the project is progressive and the board are believers.

10) Marco Silva — Fulham

Last season: 11th. Silva keeps Fulham stubbornly mid-table while the cast keeps changing. This summer was quiet, though holding Rodrigo Muniz (new deal) and Antonee Robinson felt like wins in themselves. The Cottagers adore him, the FA Cup semi last term helped, but a recent dip plus less than a year on his contract introduces a sliver of jeopardy. Not on the brink — just feeling the thermostat click up a notch.

The verdict

From Arteta and Guardiola’s managerial fortresses to Silva’s gentle heat, the sack race remains as much about optics and ownership philosophy as it is about points per game. Winter’s where narratives harden; one streak can change everything. For now, these are the temperatures — but in this league, forecasts age fast.