Every Manager to Win the Premier League Title in Their First Season | OneFootball

In a now-deleted X post, TNT Sports wrote that lifting the Premier League title during your first managerial campaign on English shores "isn't for everyone".

However, a few sharp folks were quick to point out that Liverpool boss Arne Slot is no pioneer in this regard. While his achievement is seismic given the size of the task at his disposal when he replaced legacy manager Jurgen Klopp at Anfield last summer, Slot is not the first manager to win the Premier League title at the first attempt.

Sure, it's not been for "everyone" as such, but several other slick continentals have proven to be revolutionaries in this division all while guiding their clubs to the promised land.

Here are all the managers to win the Premier League title during their first season.

Jose Mourinho (2004/05)

Mourinho (lifting the Premier League title) walked the walk after joining Chelsea from Porto / IMAGO / Colorsport

Jose Mourinho most certainly talked the talk when he was appointed Chelsea manager off the back of Porto's Champions League success at the end of the 2003/04 season. But boy, did he walk the walk.

He may not have said that he was the "special one", but there's no denying that the handsome Portuguese coach thought plenty of himself. In short, he was absolutely perfect for Roman Abramovich's west London project.

Mourinho was not then football's anti-christ. His resentment for Barcelona which ignited his evolution into the dark lord wouldn't come to pass until the Catalan club snubbed his managerial gifts in favour of the far less proven Pep Guardiola in 2008.

His first Chelsea team was perhaps the best in Premier League history, and while their success was predicated on an outstanding defence, one which remarkably conceded just 15 goals all season, the Blues were scintillating in transition and unpredictable in the final third. Once they took the lead, it was curtains.

Mourinho's side strolled to the title, claiming a whopping 95 points after losing just once.

Carlo Ancelotti (2009/10)

Chelsea's policy of changing managers paid off once more as Carlo Ancelotti lifted the Premier League / IMAGO / Sportimage

Abramovich would eventually cut ties with Mourinho at the start of the 2007/08 season, with Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari enduring short stints at the helm as a result of the trigger-happy Russian owner.

Guus Hiddink did an admirable job of steering the ship during the backend of 2008/09, but a bigger-name was sought in the summer. Enter Carlo Ancelotti.

The revered Italian was acquired to lead Chelsea to Champions League glory after twice leading Milan to European supremacy, but the Blues never came close to conquering the continent with 'Carletto' at the helm.

However, the London club were dominant domestically during Ancelotti's first season in charge. Manchester United had enjoyed three years of winning after Chelsea's back-to-back successes under Mourinho, but 2009/10 was all about the Blues.

A majestic attack was brought to life by the manager's laissez-faire approach, as Chelsea became the first team since Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the 60s to win the league title and score more than 100 goals. However, their issues away from home throughout the season meant they required a run of seven wins from eight to conclude the campaign in order to pip United to the title.

Manuel Pellegrini (2013/14)

Manuel Pellegrini's Man City pipped Liverpool and Chelsea in a thrilling title race / IMAGO / Colorsport

Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City may well be one of the most easily forgotten title-winners. Not because the Cityzens were underwhelming, but due to the team that didn't lift the trophy.

2013/14 was all about Luis Suarez and Liverpool. The Reds were then hunting their first Premier League title, and were inspired by one of the all-time great individual seasons. Brendan Rodgers' side were distinctly flawed, especially without the ball, but Suarez's magic rendered them unmissable.

However, the Reds shrunk during the run-in and opened the door for Pellegrini's City to pounce. While Liverpool and Chelsea blinked, the Sky Blues of Manchester purred when it mattered most. Despite losing to both title rivals during the second-half of the season, including a memorable 3-2 defeat at Anfield in April 2014, they rattled off five-straight wins to conclude the campaign and win the title by two points.

While Suarez was the star of the season, Yaya Toure also produced a campaign for the ages from a marauding midfield position.

Antonio Conte (2016/17)

Antonio Conte's back three revolution rocked the Premier League / IMAGO / Action Plus

The substitution which turned the Premier League upside down. Chelsea were 3-0 down at Arsenal during an early-season fixture when new Blues boss Antonio Conte opted for familiarity. Marcos Alonso's introduction for Cesc Fabregas signalled a switch to a back three, and the Italian never looked back.

The drastic systematic switch sparked a 13-game winning run which fired Conte's side to the top of the table. Their streak was brought to an end by Spurs at the start of the new year, with Mauricio Pochettino being one of the 16 other managers who opted to switch to a back three that season off the back of Conte's success.

Chelsea were eighth by the end of September but top by the start of December. They were six points clear to begin 2017, and although Spurs were brilliant after Christmas, Conte's side were always in control of the title race. A 1-0 win at West Brom in May confirmed the Blues as champions.

Arne Slot (2024/25)

Arne Slot picked up the baton from Jurgen Klopp and ran with it / IMAGO / Xinhua

Jurgen Klopp's final season at the helm failed to result in Premier League glory. Liverpool burned out down the stretch and eventually limped to a third-place finish.

Thus, there were few expectations for Arne Slot to lead the Reds to their 20th league title when he inherited the role from an icon. While Klopp's sturdy foundations remained in tact, Liverpool oversaw a quiet summer transfer window which meant the new manager was working with an almost identical squad from 2023/24.

Crucially, the Dutchman oversaw a subtle alteration. The heavy-metal style of the chest-thumping German was no more. In came a more serene style predicated on calmer possession play and a less demanding approach without the ball.

Liverpool were close to perfect during the first half of the season, and Man City's demise combined with Arsenal's final third woes ensured their lead at the summit was extensive for the duration of Slot's debut campaign. There were bumps in the road in the winter and spring, but potential contenders failed to take advantage and Liverpool never felt all that much pressure as a result.

Mohamed Salah produced an all-time great season from a productivity standpoint, while Slot maximised the dynamic of a wonderful midfield which aided Liverpool's ability to control games and keep opponents at arm's length.