Premier League 2026/27: How Have the New Managers Started?
Nine of the 20 clubs started the season with a manager appointed since the end of last season. After eight rounds, three of them sit in the top five and two are in the bottom four, and the group as a whole has collected almost the same number of points per match as everyone else.
Nine Premier League clubs started the 2026/27 season under a manager who was not in charge at the end of last season, according to Sky Sports' count. Eight rounds in, there is enough to see what has happened to them, though not enough to settle anything. Here is how each of the nine has done, using the table after Matchweek 8 (matches up to 25 October), and how many goals each of them scores and concedes per match.
What you need to know
- The group: nine clubs started 2026/27 with a manager appointed since the end of last season: Manchester City (Enzo Maresca), Liverpool (Andoni Iraola), Chelsea (Xabi Alonso), Newcastle (Matthias Jaissle), Bournemouth (Marco Rose), Ipswich (Gary O'Neil), Fulham (Álvaro Arbeloa), Crystal Palace (Pierre Sage) and Nottingham Forest (Oliver Glasner).
- No average bounce: after eight rounds the nine clubs have 100 points from 72 matches, 1.39 per match. The other eleven clubs have 117 from 88, 1.33.
- A split picture: three of the nine are in the top five (City first, Liverpool fourth, Chelsea fifth), while Crystal Palace (17th) and Nottingham Forest (18th) are in the bottom four.
- The goals: Manchester City average 2.50 goals scored and 1.13 conceded per match, while Crystal Palace score 1.13 and concede 2.38, the most of any club in the league.
The nine, in one table
Each of the nine arrived by a different route. Guardiola resigned at Manchester City, Arne Slot was sacked at Liverpool, Eddie Howe resigned at Newcastle and Kieran McKenna resigned at Ipswich, while Marco Silva's contract at Fulham and Iraola's at Bournemouth ended. Chelsea were under interim manager Calum McFarlane when Alonso took over, and Forest sacked Vítor Pereira days before appointing Glasner, who had left Crystal Palace at the end of his contract.
| Club | New manager | Predecessor | Pos. | Pts | GF–GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man City | Enzo Maresca | Pep Guardiola | 1 | 21 | 20–9 |
| Liverpool | Andoni Iraola | Arne Slot | 4 | 15 | 11–8 |
| Chelsea | Xabi Alonso | Calum McFarlane (interim) | 5 | 13 | 17–15 |
| Newcastle | Matthias Jaissle | Eddie Howe | 8 | 11 | 12–14 |
| Ipswich | Gary O'Neil | Kieran McKenna | 12 | 10 | 12–16 |
| Bournemouth | Marco Rose | Andoni Iraola | 13 | 9 | 12–13 |
| Fulham | Álvaro Arbeloa | Marco Silva | 15 | 8 | 8–10 |
| Crystal Palace | Pierre Sage | Oliver Glasner | 17 | 7 | 9–19 |
| Nottingham Forest | Oliver Glasner | Vítor Pereira | 18 | 6 | 6–10 |
Added up, the nine have 100 points from 72 matches, or 1.39 per match. The other eleven clubs have 117 points from 88 matches, or 1.33. A gap of 0.06 points per match is too small to read as a new-manager effect after eight rounds.
At the top: City, Liverpool and Chelsea
Manchester City have 21 points from eight matches, first on goal difference ahead of Arsenal on the same total. They have scored 20 goals and conceded 9, and their one defeat was 2-1 at Aston Villa on 24 October. We looked at City's scoring earlier this month.
Liverpool are fourth with 15 points from four wins, three draws and one defeat. Ten of those points came away from home, where they have won three and drawn one; at Anfield they have won once, drawn twice and lost once. They beat Brighton 2-0 on 25 October. Chelsea are fifth with 13 points, 17 goals scored and 15 conceded, and lost 0-2 at home to Tottenham on 24 October.
The middle: Newcastle, Ipswich, Bournemouth and Fulham
Four of the nine sit between eighth and 15th: Newcastle (eighth, 11 points), Ipswich (12th, 10), Bournemouth (13th, 9) and Fulham (15th, 8). None has a positive goal difference. On 25 October Newcastle won 2-0 at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth won 3-0 at Manchester United, and Fulham won 1-0 at Coventry a day earlier. Ipswich, one of the three promoted clubs, drew 1-1 with Forest on 23 October.
The bottom: Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace are 17th with seven points and have conceded 19 goals in eight matches, more than any other team; their goal difference of -10 is the worst in the league. Nottingham Forest are 18th with six points. All six of their goals have come away from home, and they have not scored in four home matches. Glasner left Crystal Palace when his contract ended in May and was appointed at Forest in July. His old club and his new one are now 17th and 18th.
What comes next
Goals scored and conceded per match after eight rounds: Manchester City 2.50 and 1.13; Liverpool 1.38 and 1.00; Chelsea 2.13 and 1.88; Newcastle 1.50 and 1.75; Ipswich 1.50 and 2.00; Bournemouth 1.50 and 1.63; Fulham 1.00 and 1.25; Crystal Palace 1.13 and 2.38; Nottingham Forest 0.75 and 1.25. For comparison, the league average is about 2.8 goals a match in total.
The nine clubs' next fixtures are Chelsea v Manchester United, Manchester City v Brighton, Hull v Ipswich, Bournemouth v Leeds, Brentford v Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa v Fulham and Tottenham v Crystal Palace on 31 October, Liverpool v Arsenal on 1 November and Newcastle v Everton on 2 November. Manchester City face Brighton, who have scored 23 goals, the most in the league. Liverpool, who have conceded eight, meet Arsenal, who have conceded five, the fewest in the league. More on the table and fixtures is on the Premier League page.
Sources: Chronos Score league data (API-Football), Premier League table and results after Matchweek 8, matches to 25 October 2026; Wikipedia, 2026–27 Premier League (managerial changes); Sky Sports, Premier League managers 2026/27; Premier League, manager line-up for 2026/27. Goals per match are calculated from season totals after eight matches.
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