The Premier League is home to some of the very best managers in world football, but which ones impressed the most in the 2025/26 season?
We’ve picked out five head coaches who who got the most out their squads, exceeded expectations or set the bar for success.
Ranking the five best Premier League managers in 2025/26:
5. Daniel Farke – Leeds United
Daniel Farke’s history of struggle in the Premier League led Leeds to consider replacing him last year after guiding the club to promotion. It would have been harsh, certainly, but many onlookers would have understood it if they had made that decision.
They stook with the German and have been rewarded massively. Farke moved away from his preferred free-flowing, attacking style to adopt a more defensive approach – and it worked, proving he’s not just a Championship merchant and can adapt to the top flight.
Leeds secured safety with two weeks to spare and reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 39 years.
4. Keith Andrews – Brentford
While we’re on the topic of proving the doubters wrong, Keith Andrews did a stellar job in his first year as a senior head coach. The Irishman had to follow up Thomas Frank, who did outstanding work to keep Brentford in the Premier League for four years, and had to deal with losing Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard in one summer.
And yet, instead of having to stave relegation, they were a hair’s breadth away from qualifying for Europe last week. It’s difficult to separate how much credit a Brentford manager deserves from how the hierarchy runs the club, but Andrews should get his flowers regardless.
3. Unai Emery – Aston Villa
When Aston Villa began the season with five straight defeats, it felt like the wheels were coming off the Unai Emery train. He was entering his fourth year as manager at Villa Park, the longest he has coached a team in nearly a decade and a half. Maybe the marriage had just run its course.
Or maybe Emery was about to lead Villa on their longest ever winning streak in the Premier League, comfortably qualify for the Champions League, and win the Europa League, their first major trophy in 30 years.
2. Andoni Iraola – Bournemouth
For their size, Bournemouth should really be a third tier team, yet they’ve been punching above their weight for years now. This season should have been a struggle after they sold Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi, Dango Ouattara and Milos Kerkez in the summer, followed by Antoine Semenyo in January.
That is a huge amount of talent to lose, but Andoni Iraola nonetheless managed to lead the Cherries to their best ever top-flight finish and qualify for Europe for the first time in their history. It’s a shame he’s leaving the club, but everyone will be keeping a keen eye on where he ends up next.
This speech 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Mb7ilW3lgM
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) May 20, 2026
1. Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
An uncharitable person might argue that Mikel Arteta only won the Premier League at the fourth time of asking after bottling three previous attempts and spending hundreds of millions on players, while almost contriving to let a comfortable lead slip in the final months of the campaign.
But the level of pressure that Arteta is operating under cannot be understated. Lesser managers would crumbled underneath it, but he has not only secured their first title in 22 years, he has also guided them to the Champions League final. If they beat PSG to land an historic double, that would put him on the Mount Rushmore of Arsenal head coaches.
Read – Every Premier League team to have qualified for Europe
See Also – Our Premier League Team of the Season for 2025/26
