Premier League sack race: the manager most at risk of being sacked with all 20 threat levels revealed
It's Gameweek 10 of the 2026-27 Premier League term; some fans remain optimistic, while others are already hopeless, or verging on. So, who will be the first to get the dreaded sack?
The likes of Michael Carrick and Pierre Sage are under immense pressure at Manchester United and Crystal Palace, respectively, while Mikel Arteta is continuing to soar with Arsenal atop the Premier League table. Elsewhere, the managers of 'The Three B's' are enjoying glorious campaigns, with Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth gunning for Europe.
By now, all 20 Premier League managers will have gotten a feel for whether they're likely to see out the 2026-27 term, or reduce the shopping bill ahead of Christmas. Here, SPORTbible counts down all 20 bosses, from most to least likely to depart from the English top-flight.
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Premier League Manager 'Sack Race' - RANKED
1) Michael Carrick
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Michael Carrick remains the overwhelming favourite to be this term’s first sacked Premier League boss, after taking six losses from the Red Devils’ last 10 fixtures.
Despite Manchester United’s comeback 3-2 win in Europe on Tuesday evening, the Englishman, whose side are positioned 17th in the Premier League standings, remains under immense pressure.
Carrick has secured just three victories as Manchester United boss this term; the Red Devils’ win on Tuesday versus Roma was their first since September 10, when they defeated Sabah 2-0.
At this stage, nothing will save Carrick’s job before Christmas except for a truly resurgent run. If the losses begin to seep back in - one, two, three at a time - then the Manchester United legend is gone.
2) Pierre Sage
New Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage, whose side are positioned 18th in the Premier League standings, is next on the chopping block after Carrick.
In previous seasons, the Eagles were soaring. Oliver Glasner’s outfit beat Manchester City and Liverpool to FA Cup and Community Shield glory, respectively, and lifted the Conference League trophy.
Relegation contention is now far from the expectation in London; should Sage’s woes at Crystal Palace continue, he will remain strongly tipped to exit his Premier League post. The Frenchman has until the New Year.
3) Matthias Jaissle
After parting ways with Carabao Cup-winning manager Eddie Howe in the summer, Newcastle United turned to Matthias Jaissle, whose Premier League post is already under considerable threat, despite reports suggesting the Magpies' hierarchy will remain patient.
The new man at the Newcastle helm has led his side to a 13th-placed English top-flight position, and recently gave Everton their first away Premier League victory this term at St. James Park.
The problem is that the Magpies aren’t any better than they were under Howe last term. In fact, they’re worse. For an uber rich, recently successful Newcastle side, patience will quickly run thin.
The German has surged up the rankings, in the minds of fans and bookies alike, as one of the likeliest Premier League bosses to be sacked, and that will continue until things change in Newcastle.
4) Regis Le Bris
Regis Le Bris was a miracle maker for Sunderland last term, taking the Black Cats to Europe. Flash forward to 2026-27, and his side are rock bottom in the Premier League standings.
As many anticipated, balancing Europe with the English top-flight’s demands was always going to be a struggle for Le Bris; however, 20th is far beneath the Black Cats’ level.
Taking Sunderland to the Europa League knockouts is his strongest shot at avoiding a Premier League axing - but will Le Bris receive the time needed? He should, but football is a cruel, cruel sport.
5) Oliver Glasner
Bizarrely, the move to Nottingham Forest for Glasner appears to have been detrimental for both ex-club Crystal Palace and his new cohort at the City Ground.
Despite masterminding the Eagles’ recent trophy-winning exploits, Glasner has faltered majorly in Nottingham, leading his side to 19th in the Premier League standings.
Forest were also relegation candidates last term, but Glasner was brought in to win. Similarly to Le Bris, he was perceived as a miracle maker at Crystal Palace, and those expectations could undo him.
The Austrian will get more time than others that are higher on this list – until 2027, at least – but his post in Nottingham is under medium-level threat.
6) Alvaro Arbeloa
After failing to secure a permanent role at Real Madrid as manager, the ex-La Liga boss was given, seemingly, an ideal stomping ground in Fulham to ply his coaching trade at.
That is, until you realise that managing a La Liga giant is, and will likely always be, an easier task than dealing with the scarily consistent strength of competition on display in the Premier League.
Nine points, 15th-placed, and a flight back to Spain in 2027, unless Alvaro Arbeloa’s recent Premier League results – two wins against newly-promoted sides Coventry and Hull City – continue.
7) Unai Emery
From here on out, all remaining Premier League managers in this list are relatively, or completely, unlikely to be axed. Unai Emery fits into the ‘relatively’ category.
As Europa League champions, and Champions League qualifiers through their Premier League finish last term, expectations at Villa are far beyond 10th.
He will be given time, as all trophy-winning managers are, but, like Glasner, the standards that Emery has set could cause his demise. A miserable transfer window, and the demands of balancing Champions and Premier League football, could see the Spaniard out the Villa Park door.
8) Frank Lampard
He’s a Coventry legend for bringing them back up to the Premier League, but being two points above the drop zone, as the worst performer of all three newly-promoted sides, isn’t a good look for Frank.
The Chelsea icon will almost certainly be given the bulk, if not all of the Premier League season to keep Coventry up; however, should the situation get sticky by March, then Frank Lampard will sweat.
9) Gary O’Neil
Another boss to a newly-promoted side, except Ipswich Town are performing slightly better than last term’s Championship winners.
The goal is simple: stay up. The Tractor Boys were here in 2024-25 and plummeted straight back down; now, Gary O’Neil must succeed where Ipswich’s beloved Kieran McKenna failed.
They’re above Coventry, and a handful of points above the drop zone, so their English boss is safe for now. When it gets to the crunch, however, O’Neil could be in trouble.
10) Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca got off to a stunning start at Manchester City, taking seven wins from seven. In their last two Premier League outings, the Cityzens have stuttered, amid off-pitch controversy, falling behind reigning champions Arsenal.
It isn’t too difficult to see a poor run of form for Maresca and his City side occurring soon - perhaps they’re already in it; combined with legal drama, the Italian could be unexpectedly axed.
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11) Andoni Iraola
Liverpool never sack managers. Well, they hardly ever did, until matters got so dark at Anfield that they axed Premier League title-winning manager Arne Slot last term.
Put simply, the Reds have been in freefall since 2021-22. The Dutchman’s role in winning Liverpool’s 2024-25 title was minuscule, and almost entirely the work of a now-departed Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian’s loss is seismic, and the likes of Florian Wirtz, a chronic underperformer, Bradley Barcola, a practically self-admitted downgrade on Salah, and Alexander Isak, starved of service without the #11, won’t spearhead Liverpool to the Premier League soon.
The team will inevitably go through a long, arduous rebuild before competing again in England and Europe, and this season won’t be pretty in the Premier League.
Still, Liverpool will know better than to pull the plug on Andoni Iraola so quickly (all Premier League teams will want to avoid 'The Manchester United Cycle’ in their years post-success) but if things get Slot-level dark in Liverpool, then the Basque boss could be a surprise departure on Merseyside.
12) Roberto de Zerbi
Spurs look to have turned a corner, but have they? At the very least, hard-fought victory against a top-4 Chelsea - at Stamford Bridge, no less - was a good look for the North London club.
Unless Tottenham Hotspur are verging on relegation again come March or April, then Roberto De Zerbi won’t depart from London any time soon.
Besides, SPORTbible tips Spurs to finish as a top-half Premier League side this term, and that will be enough to keep the Italian in his post.
13) Daniel Farke
The goal for Leeds is as simple as it is for the newly-promoted Premier League sides this term: stay up. Daniel Farke is currently holding up his end of the bargain, and so should Leeds United.
Eleven points, 12th-placed; unless the drop zone backslide commences soon, Farke is as safe as you can be. The managers beneath him on this list are, simply, less in danger of a backslide, as they possess stronger teams.
14) David Moyes
Moyes is working magic with Everton at present, even after a truly torrid transfer window that saw the Toffees rejected, embarrassed, weakened, and all other descriptors commonly associated with the Ev.
Thirteen points to secure a ninth-placed Premier League table position is… surprisingly strong work from the Englishman. With Thierno Barry in fine form, Everton will continue to win as often as is required to keep Moyes in his post. At a club where trophies aren't, and haven't been in a long while, the expectation, the Toffees man is surely safe.
15) Sergej Jakirovic
The Hull City boss is nothing short of a magician. Many, many Premier League fans expected the Tigers to give the lowest-ever relegation points total a run for its pennies; however, Sergej Jakirovic has them in 11th.
Unfortunately, the possibility remains that Hull City will embark on a losing run, and end up near the Premier League drop zone. If that happens, Jakirovic should be spared from the axe’s blade a million times over… unfortunately, he won’t be.
16) Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso isn’t going anywhere. Having led Chelsea to a fourth-placed position after nine Premier League games, the Spaniard is showing enough promise for the Blues to retain their investment.
As mentioned in Liverpool’s case, Chelsea will be anxious to avoid ‘The Manchester United Way’ after splitting up with Liam Rosenior and Maresca last term; those nerves will keep Alonso in his post for a lengthy period both before and after a potential Chelsea backslide is witnessed at the Bridge.
17) Marco Rose
The first boss of ‘The Three B’s’ is Marco Rose, commanding a strong, steady-sailing Cherries ship in Bournemouth to what feels like another Europa or Conference League-qualifying season.
Also, if Bournemouth begin to stutter in England – which would be… unexpected, but perhaps less surprising than Brentford or Brighton struggling – then Rose still has Europe as a back-up plan.
Premier League teams nearly always perform outside of England - a perk of competing in the Europe's strongest league - so, an all but guaranteed Europa League knock-out stage run will keep the Englishman at Bournemouth until 2027-28.
18) Keith Andrews
Is this the season that the Bees get Europe? Brentford fans are feeling it, Premier League fans are feeling it, and it seems like Keith Andrews is feeling it.
After just nine games, it appears certain that Brentford, positioned sixth in the Premier League standings, will achieve, at minimum, Conference League qualification. The football is good, the results are better, Andrews will surely be given the entirety of 2026-27.
19) Fabian Hurzeler
Third place and just a handful of points behind financial juggernauts Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League standings is a remarkable achievement from the Seagulls boss.
There isn’t much else to say, is there? It would take a truly immense fall from grace for Fabian Hurzeler to be on the chopping block this term, and SPORTbible believe the Seagull will continue to soar.
20) Mikel Arteta
There’s even less to say for this man. Reigning champions, first in the Premier League standings this year, runners-up to PSG in the previous Champions League edition: Mikel Arteta is here to stay.
How long this Arsenal golden era will last is unclear; however, there is a lot, too much to imagine in three seasons, let alone one, that would need to go wrong for the Spaniard to be axed.
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Topics: Premier League, Spotlight
Kedar Bayley
