The 2025-26 Premier League season is up and running. Today, we look at the five managers who must deliver success for their team this season.
Mikel Arteta
Embed from Getty ImagesHaving been involved in three successive Title races against Manchester City and then Liverpool, this has to be the season where Arsenal must deliver a major trophy.
Whether it’s the Premier League or Champions League, the amount of business that has been done in the summer needs to be backed up with an end product.
The likes of Mosquera, Zubimendi, Norgaard, and Gyokeres have significantly improved their options on the pitch and the bench. Providing they can keep 80/90% of their squad fit throughout the season, surely the Title is within their sights.
Arteta is now entering his sixth year as Arsenal’s Boss, and has only one FA Cup to show for it.
It’s now or never, he must get the Gunners over the line in any way possible.
Ruben Amorim
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite Manchester United showing signs of improvement in Sunday’s game, the former Sporting Boss needs to bring some spark back to life at Old Trafford.
Finishing 15th with only 42 points last season is nowhere near the standards of a club of this magnitude.
Things need changing.
Bringing in players like Benjamin Šeško and Brian Mbuemo, who were arguably United’s best players, is a good start.
However, how soon can they gel into a match-winning unit?
In his post-match interview, Amorim alluded to the fact that his team showed glimpses of progressive football, despite being on the wrong end of the result.
“The most important thing – we weren’t boring. I’m really proud of the guys. They were really brave in everything they did during the game,”
Amorim: Sky Sports
The first five to six games could define what this Manchester United side are about, especially away at Manchester City and at home to Chelsea.
Can Amorim pave the way back to glory for United, or will he perish in the graveyard of Managers, who did not survive more than one season?
Enzo Maresca
Embed from Getty ImagesBy winning the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup, the Italian has reassured Chelsea fans that he is the right man to take the club forward.
Yet the amount of business the club has done so far this summer, especially in attacking areas, is a sign of the club wanting to take things up a notch, in terms of competing for the Title.
You could even argue that the team is just one top centre back away from doing that.
Maresca had even asked for the option of bringing in an extra centre back, however, the club have accepted that request, provided that they sell one of their own.
Embed from Getty ImagesAt the moment, it looks as if Trevoh Chalobah could turn out to be the sacrificial lamb for Chelsea, because of the club’s policy of selling their homegrown players for pure profit.
If he indeed leaves the club or is loaned out to another club, this puts the Blues in another sticky situation regarding their centre-back options.
Embed from Getty ImagesYou do have players like Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile, who can do a decent job, but aren’t as consistent as the England international.
To take Chelsea to the next level, a top-quality centre-back is a must in the remainder of the summer Window.
Whatever Chelsea does in the next 10 to 12 days could have a big impact on the outcome of the season.
Can Maresca make it another successful season for Chelsea?
Thomas Frank
Embed from Getty ImagesThe former Brentford boss is known for his tactical, flexible, and analytically driven style of management, but the question is, will it work with the North London club?
Frank is now the 17th Manager for Spurs under the Daniel Levy era, and with the club back in the Champions League, the Dane now has the Challenge of making this team consistently compete for the top five, and other domestic Cups.
Even though most managers have had decent spells at the club, last season Ange Postecoglou became the first Manager to win Spurs a trophy, since Juande Ramos, by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League Final.
The onus will now be on Frank to see whether or not he can build on it.
With the club bringing in players such as Kudus, it’ll be fascinating to see how quickly they adapt to his philosophy of playing.
Régis Le Bris
Embed from Getty ImagesSunderland made a very impressive start to life back in the Premier League, with a stunning 3-0 win over West Ham.
Getting a team back in the Premier League is a fine achievement, considering he spent nine years in France managing Lorient and Lorient B.
The Championship is a much more physical League, so quickly adapting his football philosophy is a fine achievement.
According to BBC Sport, the former defender played for French teams Rennes and Laval before ending his career in Belgium with Ronse.
His career as a coach took shape at Lorient’s youth side, where he went on to become coach of the first team in 2022.
The first season with FC Lorient was promising, with the French side finishing 10th in Ligue 1.
However, he could not build on it, as Les Merlus (The Hakes) were relegated back to Ligue 2, after finishing 17th.
One of the many qualities Le Bris has is his ability to work with young players.
17-year-old Chris Rigg is a perfect example of how the Frenchman has developed youngsters into promising talents.
Embed from Getty ImagesRigg made his debut in January 2023 as a substitute in the FA Cup third round against Shrewsbury Town.
Then there’s Romaine Mundle, who was brought from PSV in 2023.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe club are also interested in John Lucumi, from Serie A club Bologna.
The 27-year-old is a centre-half who can also play as a full-back. The club initially approached him earlier on in the transfer window; however, according to The Northern Echo, A series of discussions failed to result in an agreement, but with the release clause having now expired, the Black Cats hierarchy have returned to the table in an attempt to secure a deal.
However, don’t lose hope, Black Cats fans, as the Colombian still wants a move to the Premier League, so we will have to see how that move transpires.
How will Le Bris do in his first season in the Premier League?
So these are our top 5 Managers who must deliver this season.
Which manager do you think is under pressure to perform?
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