Who is the greatest Premier League manager? Ranking the top 10 by points-per-game | OneFootball

Highlights

Play Video

The Premier League has been home to some incredible managers over the years, with us lucky enough to witness the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola battling it out in the same era, with both in charge of their respective clubs.

One of the greatest managers to ever coach in England was undoubtedly Arsene Wenger, who took charge of the Gunners for the first time in the English top-flight 27 years ago today. His new team were 2-0 winners against Blackburn Rovers on the day, which was just the first of his 828 games in the division. What an icon Le Professeur would become in north London.

It is now a different Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, who is looking to cement his legacy as one of the league's best managers by battling it out with the Spanish mastermind Guardiola for glory come May. His gradually-improving tenure in the hotseat at the Emirates has seen him climb into – albeit statistically - the top 10 greatest Premier League managers of all time, per the folks over at Transfermarkt.

But where does he rank compared to the legendary Wenger, and who else makes the grade? As a quick caveat: the rankings are based purely off points-per-match tallies. Understood? Let’s crack on.

10 Carlo Ancelotti - 1.84 points-per-match

Carlo Ancelotti would most definitely be higher up on this list after his time in charge of Chelsea, winning the title in the 2009/10 season. However, his bizarre stint in charge of Everton will likely have dampened his points-per-game slightly, but he still holds his place on this list just ahead of the likes of Unai Emery and Andre Villas-Boas. Now in the dugout at Real Madrid with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Jr at his disposal, Don Carlo will look back at his time in the England top division with delight, though it’ll be sprinkled with a bit of Merseyside-based confusion.

9 Mikel Arteta - 1.89 points-per-match

In his first managerial role, Arteta was tasked with reviving a downbeat Arsenal side, and he passed the initial years of struggle with flying colours. Long gone are the days of mediocrity as the Spaniard has transformed them from top four contenders to genuine title contenders over the last couple of campaigns, with his quality side helping him leapfrog Ancelotti into ninth spot. Eventually finishing five points off the pace after leading the pack for the majority of 2022/23, Arteta will be looking to increase his points-per-game tally by earning the club another Premier League title this time around.

8 Thomas Tuchel - 1.94 points-per-match

Thomas Tuchel saw his stint with Chelsea ended earlier than many fans would’ve ideally liked, though he did manage to leave a legacy behind at the capital club after his unforeseen Champions League triumph. He may not have led the west Londoners to domestic glory, but his consistent performances in the league saw him secure an average of 1.94 points per match.

7 Arsene Wenger - 1.96 points-per-match

The Arsenal legend was known for his ability to keep the north London outfit in the Champions League in times of despair, but more famously for leading them to an invincible season in 2003/04, although Arteta is on his way to try and usurp him on this list. The current chief of the club still has a fair way to go, and you can only tip your hat to the Frenchman for amassing such an impressive points-per-match tally over across his 828-game stewardship in north London.

6 Antonio Conte - 2.03 points-per-match

Another manager with multiple reigns in the Premier League after taking charge of London-based duo Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, although it was his time in west London that was arguably more memorable due to his title glory with the Blues. In his four-season stint in England, the Italian, now tipped to become the new Napoli boss, managed 132 matches and picked up 268 points along the way.

5 Jose Mourinho - 2.03 points-per-match

Ah, The Chosen One. Or marmite – you either love him or hate him. But, for once, put any troubles aside and applaud the charismatic legend of the game. After three stints in the Premier League, Jose Mourinho cements his place as an all-time great, proving he can be successful in different surroundings. His most successful spell came as Chelsea manager, winning an impressive three titles, though there’s little to no doubt that his respective stints at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have dampened his points-per-match ratio.

4 Roberto Mancini - 2.05 points-per-match

The man responsible for the truly iconic ‘AGUUUEEEERRRROOOOO’ moment, Roberto Mancini guided Manchester City to that famous title in the 2011/12 season, pipping their local rivals to the crown with the last kick of the season. Across his four-season tutelage at the Etihad, Mancini was lucky enough to manage some of the stars in the early embers of the club’s promising era and has them to thank for his fourth-placed ranking.

3 Jürgen Klopp - 2.11 points-per-match

Taking the first spot on the podium is Klopp, who impressively transformed the state of affairs at Anfield into one of the most dominant forces in Europe. He spearheaded Liverpool to their first league title since before the top flight’s rebranding in 1992, while he also picked up another Champions League to add to their other five in the trophy cabinet. Few could transform a side like Klopp could, with a shoe-string budget compared to his rivals.

2 Alex Ferguson - 2.16 points-per-match

Just missing out on top spot is Sir Alex Ferguson, who effortlessly won a ludicrous amount of honours at Old Trafford. Recording a staggering 2.16 points-per-game, he lifted 13 league titles during his period of dominance with Manchester United. The old-age debate of whether he is the greatest footballing manager to stand on the other side of the white line is – to this day – almost unbearably rife, and he is just pipped to the post for the top spot. But you have to commend his longevity – to accumulate 2.16 points per match across a 810-game period is no easy feat.

1 Pep Guardiola - 2.35 points-per-match

Taking top spot as statistically the greatest Premier League manager of all time is Guardiola, who took charge at the Manchester club after stints with European powerhouses Barcelona and Bayern Munich. In fine, treble-winning fashion, the enigmatic Spaniard finally broke the curse and delivered Europe’s most coveted trophy to the fans at the Etihad Stadium. His recent dominance in the league is unrivalled too, with a points per game of 2.36 secured on his way to five titles.