Premier League Sack-o-Meter: Who’s in danger over the last six games?

We are six games into the new Premier League season and not far from the stage where clubs tend to assess their starts.

It can bring heat to the manager, and there are a number of senior executives looking over their shoulders at the minute.

So who’s safe and sound and who needs a few wins in frustration? Welcome to the Sack-o-Meter, which measures the security of top executives. Remember, the higher the score, the greater the danger…

ARSENAL

Mikel Arteta – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 2
No one is completely safe in the trigger-happy world of Premier League football, but Arteta has the most reliable role at the moment. The Spaniard is the longest-serving head coach in the top four divisions, having been appointed in December 2019. He has been in a shaky position at various points over the past seven years, but guiding Arsenal to the title last season cemented his position. He was awarded a new, four-year deal last week.

ASTON VILLA

Unai Emery – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 3
Emery has worked wonders at Villa Park and is not afraid of his job. That doesn’t mean he has an easy task on his hands with Villa, who have started slowly after a summer that saw the departure of several big-name players, including Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers. Emery will be given plenty of time to build a new team and don’t be surprised to see Villa hovering around the Champions League spots again in May.

BOURNEMOUTH

Marco Rose – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 8
Rose has done an incredible job replacing Andoni Iraola and has struggled to make an impact so far. The Cherries are yet to win in the Premier League and came from 2-0 down inside 149 seconds to lose 5-1 at Chelsea on Saturday. The performances haven’t been as bad as the results suggest, but it’s certainly a big week for Rose with Bournemouth taking on Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday before a crunch clash with fellow strugglers Sunderland on Sunday.

BRENTFORD

Keith Andrews – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 3
Brentford raised eyebrows when they chose Andrews to replace Tottenham-bound Thomas Frank last summer, but the Irishman has been groomed for the job for some time. It was another wise decision by the savvy West London club. Andrews has arguably made Brentford better, and although they missed out on European football last season, they look a good bet to qualify this time around after an unbeaten start that saw them sit comfortably in fourth place.

BRIGHTON

Fabian Hurzeler – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 5
Brighton have been a very well run club for many years now. Their ability to sign previously unknown players and polish them like diamonds is well known, but they managed to replicate that with the unearthing of Fabian Hurzeler. Despite only 18 months of managerial experience, Hurzeler joined the Seagulls from St Pauli in June 2024 at the age of 31. It hasn’t always been plain sailing and there have been upsets over the past two years, but his position has never looked more secure with Brighton winning three league games in three.

CHELSEA

Xabi Alonso – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 6
Is anyone safe in Chelsea? The big-spending London club fired both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior last season, leading to the arrival of Xabi Alonso. He has made a mixed start with some early performances from Chelsea – most notably the 3-0 hammering at Brentford – suggesting this could be a short-lived affair. But Bournemouth’s demolition at the weekend bought him some time. This display should be the norm to dissuade Chelsea’s impatient owners from making a move.

COVENTRY

Frank Lampard – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 4
Lampard has done well to bring Coventry back to the top flight after a 25-year absence, building on his reputation after a couple of unsuccessful spells at Everton and Chelsea. The Sky Blues spent heavily in the summer, but the early results were not as expected. Back-to-back wins over Nottingham Forest and Newcastle have calmed the waters and Lampard is under no immediate pressure.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Pierre Sage – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 7
Oliver Glasner’s somewhat successful win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday lifted some of the pressure on Sage, but there is no doubt that Palace have lost some of their momentum under the Frenchman. Under Glasner, they looked like a team capable of beating the best on their day – as evidenced by their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City – but this could be a season of struggle in South London. Sage will have to consistently make plays to stay.

EVERTON

David Moyes – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 4
Everton under David Moyes are as solid a Premier League side as you will find. They aren’t flashy, they won’t win any stylistic awards, but the veteran Scot deserves to improve a team accustomed to annual relegation struggles. Putting the club up for sale brings an element of uncertainty and the new owners may want a more progressive coach. For now, Moyes has no worries.

FULHAM

Alvaro Arbeloa – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 9
Arbeloa was promoted at his station, having been hired at Fulham in the summer. Having Real Madrid on his CV was probably a fluke, but his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu was characterized by mediocre displays and a dressing room that lost all self-control. His time at Craven Cottage showed little to suggest he would succeed in England. The pressure is now on after Saturday’s defeat at Ipswich. The next two promoted clubs are Hull and Coventry. Failing to win any of them, and that’s probably going to happen.

BODY

Sergej Jakirović – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 6
Jakirovic has worked wonders in taking Hull to the top flight despite a modest budget and transfer embargoes. Güleruz has shown plenty of tactical nous in the Bosnian Tigers’ strong start, with his side leaning on set pieces to shock Manchester United on the opening day. Theoretically, he should occupy one of the safest places in the Premier League, but his score has been increased by the fact that “Hall” has a changeable owner in Acun Ilıcalı. If the results start to change, Jakirovic could be a victim.

IPSWICH

Gary O’Neil – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 5
Ipswich have proved they are willing to stick with such a manager in the event of relegation, a possibility that seems unlikely at the moment the Tractor Boys are enjoying their return to the top. Three wins from six games proved that Ipswich can cut it at the elite level again with O’Neil in the first half. That situation could change, of course, and it’s unrealistic to expect them not to slide into relegation battle as the season progresses. For now, O’Neal is on solid ground.

LEEDS

Daniel Farke – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 3
Farke has enjoyed a notable surge in popularity since turning three back last November. Among the relegation contenders at that point, Leeds have become one of the Premier League’s best-prepared teams, as shown again in Saturday’s disappointing defeat at Arsenal. Leeds are a good shout to qualify for Europe this season and cement Farke’s position at Elland Road.

LIVERPOOL

Andoni Iraola – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 7
Liverpool are famous for giving their managers time, but Iraola is certainly feeling the pinch at the minute. He hasn’t been helped by injuries that continue to deprive him of several key players, but the Spaniard’s up-tempo approach that worked so well at Bournemouth has yet to be replicated on Merseyside. He needs to solve the Florian Wirtz puzzle, while new signing Bradley Barcola has yet to shine. Iraola is not in any danger, the results and most importantly, the performances need to be improved.

MANCHESTER CITY

Enzo Maresca – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 2
A change of manager is the last thing on the minds of Manchester City’s owners at the moment. They have bigger fish to fry. To be fair, Enzo Maresca has improved since replacing Pep Guardiola. As we saw at Manchester United and Arsenal, replacing a legendary manager is a difficult task, but the Italian looks very much at home at the Etihad. He has a 100% record in mid-October and the win at Liverpool at the weekend shows the club have at least got it right on the pitch.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Michael Carrick – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 9
Carrick is a quiet, unassuming man, unlikely to ruffle feathers, but unfortunately his team mirrors his approach every now and then. United look tame, lethargic and lack of ideas – not a great combination. Sir Jim Ratcliffe was almost forced to take Carrick on permanently given his performance last season, but that threatens to backfire. Their next three league games are against Leeds, Bournemouth and Chelsea. It looks like a crucial time for Carrick.

NEWCASTLE

Matthias Jaissle – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 8
Jaissle looked like a cheap choice to replace Eddie Howe and he did little to convince Newcastle fans that he was an improvement. The results haven’t been terrible, but the headlines – and a couple of heavy defeats at Leeds and Coventry – suggest it could be a long winter for Newcastle. Whether Jaissle will be around in the spring remains to be seen.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Oliver Glasner – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 7
Glasner has a good CV and has done a great job at Crystal Palace. He’s yet to set the world on fire on the banks of the Trent, but at most clubs he’ll be given plenty of time to work with a good squad. But Forest is not much of a club and owner Evangelos Marinakis is not a patient man as we saw last season. Glasner will go into this job with his eyes wide open and the Austrian knows he needs results to keep his job.

Sunderland

Regis Le Bris – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 6
Le Bris did a brilliant job at Sunderland, taking the club from the Championship to the Europa League, forming a new squad and having memorable moments. However, there is still a sense that the club owner is striving for the better. Cyril Louis-Dreyfus is not afraid to make big calls and there has been speculation surrounding Le Brice’s position following his promotion in the summer of 2025. There is no immediate threat, but the Wearsiders have started slowly and if there is any threat to the club’s top-flight status, Louis-Dreyfus could step in.

TOTTENHAM

Roberto De Zerbi – Sack-o-Meter Rating: 7
De Zerbi did well to steer Spurs out of relegation danger last season, but their surprisingly slow start casts doubt over his future this term. Having spent the best part of £300m on new signings, Spurs were expected to do well and while their performances have not been as bad as the results suggest, the hierarchy will expect him to take the team away from the bottom soon or it could be a little tough for the former Brighton boss.