After the first five matches of the Premier League season, several managers are already under increasing pressure. Three teams have yet to win a game, including Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham, who sit 20th in the table with just two points despite spending over £350 million in the summer transfer window.
Winless Fulham are on the same points and only above Spurs on goal difference. New boss Alvaro Arbeloa is under increasing pressure, while Marco Rose has yet to win a match as Bournemouth manager either, despite victory in the Europa League at Real Sociedad. Crystal Palace's Pierre Sage is another who has had his struggles, as has Michael Carrick at Manchester United, who have lost more games already this season across all competitions than he did in his 17-game interim spell last term.
Early Season Standouts
But it hasn't all been doom and gloom. Enzo Maresca has a perfect record at Manchester City, and Brighton, Brentford and Leeds have all started the season on fire.
Express Sport goes down the table to rate, slate, and rank all 20 Premier League managers so far this season, with help from Reach PLC's expert regional reporters.
Manchester City - Enzo Maresca (Rating: 9/10)
Nobody is perfect and City's performances have shown plenty of room for improvement, but the results have been flawless - and better than Arsenal and everyone else. It has been an ensemble effort so far, with Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki and others all contributing to help Erling Haaland, who has started like he wants to win another Golden Boot. New signings Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye are already showing why City spent big sums on them. Maresca masterminded one of their best ever derby wins at Old Trafford to spark iconic new songs about City winning with 10 men.
Arsenal - Mikel Arteta (Rating: 8/10)
Mikel Arteta is set to sign a new contract at Arsenal, which is wholly deserved after winning the club their first Premier League title in 22 years. His first title defence has started off well, winning the Community Shield and six of his first seven games of the new season across all competitions. The defeat to Brighton has wobbled the cart somewhat, but there is a growing sense that this was more of a one-off blip than an indication of a greater issue. There are elements of Arteta's management which still remain under scrutiny, however. With a deeper squad than ever before, how he rotates throughout the season will be under review, and after major behind-the-scenes changes in the medical department, player injuries will be yet another area of focus. But so far, all remains rosy in north London with an eagerness to get back to action after this lengthy international break.
Brighton - Fabian Hurzeler (Rating: 9/10)
Adding European football to the equation appeared to be a tricky task for Hurzeler - and that still might prove to be the case - but so far the German is managing things beautifully. The 3-0 win over the defending champions before the international break was awe-inspiring and displayed everything the Seagulls have become known for under Hurzeler. The way Brighton press as a unit is a credit to their manager, who has never shied away from his high-risk, high-reward tactical approach. Having battered Coventry 5-0, Brighton are the top scorers in the Premier League and are sitting pretty. With Conference League fixtures just around the corner in October, the real test awaits. For now, the data-focused Brighton hierarchy could hardly be happier with their boss.
Brentford - Keith Andrews (Rating: 9/10)
The Brentford boss has enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season with the Bees flying high in fourth. That included convincing London derby wins over Tottenham and Chelsea, as well as hard-fought draws with Leeds United, Sunderland and Bournemouth. The Irishman showed his ruthless streak in the home draw with the Black Cats. Trailing 1-0, he made a triple half-time change, which included hooking record signing Mamadou Sangare. The move paid off as his side went on to claim what seemed an unlikely point at the interval. Andrews has built on the foundations laid by Thomas Frank and taken the west London club to the next level. The sky is the limit.
Leeds - Daniel Farke (Rating: 9/10)
Daniel Farke has never been in a stronger position as Leeds United manager. Nine points from an unbeaten first five games is beyond what fans expected, but it is also what Leeds thoroughly deserve. Farke has stuck to his back-three system but has not been afraid to adapt it in-game, sometimes several times. The new signings have bedded in well too. He could be a little more proactive at times but that is the only gripe. The big question looming over Farke is his contract; he is in the final year of his deal and a renewal has not yet been signed. Talks with the board have been ongoing since the summer and there is hope that a deal can be done. Club chiefs say the delay is merely due to the lack of a need to rush negotiations. Clearly, though, the longer talks go on, the more risky it is for Farke, should he go on a poor run. But, right now, there is little sign that a drab spell is around the corner.
