The Premier League has seen several exceptional managers in recent years. Pep Guardiola stands out as the finest of his generation, but his dominant Manchester City team has faced strong competition on multiple occasions, most notably from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal also providing a challenge.
Guardiola is one of just four managers in the Premier League era to have won the title multiple times. But how does he compare to the greatest managers since the league's rebranding in 1992? Bet win tips ranked the 10 best premier league managers from the past 32 years of top-flight football.
Top 10: Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is still in the early stages of his managerial career, but there’s plenty to admire about the work he’s doing at Arsenal. The former Gunners midfielder took charge at the Emirates after Unai Emery’s dismissal in 2019 and secured his first trophy just a year later, winning the 2020 FA Cup.
Arteta has handled big personalities exceptionally well, moving on from players like Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang while focusing on building a squad around younger talent. His coaching abilities were highly regarded during his time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, and it’s evident that he has significantly improved most of Arsenal’s players.
Top 9: Kevin Keegan - Newcastle, Man City
Kevin Keegan took charge of Newcastle in 1992 when the club was on the verge of relegation to the third tier of English football. The Magpies narrowly avoided the drop, and the following season, they earned promotion to the Premier League as Division One champions. In their first season back in the top flight, Keegan led Newcastle to an impressive third-place finish, followed by a sixth-place finish the year after.
However, it was the 1995-96 season that defined Keegan’s Newcastle for many. Despite holding a 12-point lead at the top of the table, they ultimately lost the title to Manchester United. During that dramatic run-in, Keegan delivered his famous “I would love it if we beat them” rant about Sir Alex Ferguson’s United, an unforgettable moment in Premier League history.
Top 8: Mauricio Pochettino - Southampton, Tottenham, Chelsea
Tottenham pulled off one of the most significant managerial upgrades in their history when they replaced Tim Sherwood with Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino in 2014. While Pochettino has yet to win a trophy in England, his accomplishments remain highly impressive.
Under his leadership, Spurs secured top-three finishes for three consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2018 and reached the Champions League final in 2019. His most recent stint in the Premier League was a turbulent spell at Chelsea, where he departed after just one season at Stamford Bridge. Despite this, Pochettino remains one of the most respected managers in the league’s storied history.
Top 7: Manuel Pellegrini - Man City, West Ham
The last manager to lead Manchester City before Pep Guardiola, Manuel Pellegrini, ranks as the lowest-placed title-winning coach on this list. While he did secure the Premier League in his first season, his tenure was largely unremarkable. However, he did achieve a milestone by becoming the first City manager to guide the club deep into the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals in his final campaign.
Pellegrini was always seen as a bridge to Guardiola’s arrival, and he successfully fulfilled that role, helping the team transition into the extraordinary era of dominance that has followed.
Top 6: David Moyes - Everton, Man Utd, Sunderland, West Ham
David Moyes’ second stint at West Ham may not have ended as he had hoped, but his career resurgence in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable. He spent 11 successful years at Everton, securing top-half finishes in all but two seasons, yet his ill-fated move to Manchester United threatened to tarnish his reputation.
After a brief and unsuccessful spell at Real Sociedad, which ended in his dismissal in 2015, and a relegation campaign with Sunderland in 2017, Moyes’ managerial career seemed in decline. However, he revived his fortunes with West Ham, initially securing their Premier League survival on a short-term deal in 2018 before returning permanently in 2019 to replace Manuel Pellegrini. His crowning achievement came in 2023, when he guided the club to Europa Conference League glory, delivering one of the greatest moments in West Ham’s history.
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Top 5: Roberto Mancini - Man City
Italian manager Roberto Mancini was the man who led Manchester City to their long-awaited breakthrough, ending a 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup in 2011 with a victory over Stoke City at Wembley. City had already made a statement by knocking out Manchester United in the semi-finals, and just a year later, they once again got the better of their rivals, this time by clinching the Premier League title in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season.
Mancini spent four years at City between 2009 and 2013 and was the key figure in transforming the club into a genuine powerhouse following Sheikh Mansour’s 2008 takeover.
Top 4: Carlo Ancelotti - Chelsea, Everton
Carlo Ancelotti may not have won any of his numerous European Cups while managing in England, but he did achieve a domestic double with Chelsea. Appointed as manager in 2009, Ancelotti’s first season saw the Blues break multiple scoring records on their way to the Premier League title.
Chelsea netted 103 league goals that season and finished with a +71 goal difference, both Premier League records at the time, later surpassed by Manchester City’s 2017-18 Centurions. Despite leading Chelsea to a second-place finish in his second season, Ancelotti was dismissed by the notoriously ruthless Roman Abramovich.
Top 3: Jurgen Klopp - Liverpool
We've reached the top five, and Jurgen Klopp is the clear choice for this spot. Undoubtedly the greatest manager to have won just one Premier League title, Klopp transformed Liverpool from consistent underachievers into champions, ending their 30-year wait for the league crown in 2020.
Liverpool also came agonizingly close on multiple occasions, recording two second-place finishes with 90+ points. Beyond the league, Klopp delivered major success in other competitions, winning the Champions League in 2019 while also reaching the final in 2018 and 2022. In 2022, Liverpool secured a domestic cup double with FA Cup and League Cup triumphs, adding another League Cup in 2024. An extraordinary era for the now-retired coach.
Top 2: Jose Mourinho - Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham
Before Pep Guardiola’s arrival in England, José Mourinho was the only manager besides Sir Alex Ferguson to win back-to-back Premier League titles. The self-proclaimed "Special One" took charge of Chelsea in 2004 after leading Porto to Champions League glory and wasted no time in asserting himself as one of the world’s best managers.
Between 2004 and 2006, Chelsea were dominant on the domestic front, winning consecutive league titles while also securing two League Cups and an FA Cup during Mourinho’s first stint at Stamford Bridge. He returned in 2013 and guided the Blues to another Premier League crown in 2014-15. Later, he added a Europa League and League Cup to his résumé with Manchester United, though his tenure at Tottenham was largely forgettable.
Top 1: Pep Guardiola - Man City
If not for the longevity of the man in the top spot, Pep Guardiola would likely take first place. He has revolutionized football at the highest level, inspiring a generation of young coaches eager to emulate his distinctive style.
When Guardiola arrived in the Premier League, skeptics questioned whether he could dominate English football as he had in La Liga with Barcelona and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. He has emphatically silenced those doubts, winning six league titles in just eight seasons. His trophy haul also includes a Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, and a Club World Cup, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest managers of all time.
Summary
Over the past three decades, the Premier League has been shaped by some of the best premier league managers in football history. While each of these managers has had a unique journey, they all share a common trait, the ability to inspire, innovate, and leave an enduring mark on the Premier League’s rich history.
Continue Reading: List of Premier League captains - Top 10 football superstars
