In the Premier League era, there are 5 coaches who left the most prominent and successful marks, including Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City). The 2026-27 season is the first season the Premier League will be without all 5 legendary captains.
The football environment in the foggy country currently has too fast a purification speed, making it very difficult for a coach to stay in the position for a long time and make a mark. Regis Le Bris took over Sunderland more than 2 years ago, but now, he is the 4th longest-serving coach among coaches in the current Premier League. The two who have been working the longest are Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Unai Emery (Aston Villa). Among them, Emery himself is Arteta's predecessor at the Emirates Stadium.
In terms of success in recent years, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery are superior. One has just won the Premier League, the other also has the Europa League cup in hand. Among the remaining names in the Big Six, Enzo Maresca (Man City) has won the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea. With Xabi Alonso, he has succeeded in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen. The remaining Michael Carrick (Man United), Andoni Iraola (Liverpool) and Roberto De Zerbi (Tottenham) have not yet won any titles.
With a squad that is reaching its peak and the spirit is rising after a successful season, Arsenal is still considered the number 1 candidate for the championship next season. Therefore, Mikel Arteta is still considered the number 1 strategist in this league at the moment.
So who will be able to compete with The Gunners? Aston Villa, although successful, is only considered the team to squeeze into the Champions League race. Meanwhile, the two previous champions of Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool, are in the rebuilding phase. Tottenham is heavily invested to compete for the championship, while Man United has not set that goal.
Although next season will have very unpredictable developments, it is difficult to find a classic confrontation between two coaches like the pair Alex Ferguson - Arsene Wenger or Pep Guardiola - Jurgen Klopp. Not to mention that the tournament is becoming increasingly harsh, maybe the coaches of big teams will stumble against well-organized mid-table teams.
The Premier League next season may expand the number of teams participating in the races, so the strong mark of someone on the coaching bench is very difficult. Among the great strategists mentioned above, everyone has countless titles, is in a dominant position or a two-horse race that no one can break in. If Mikel Arteta wants to reach that level, at least he must win the Premier League next season with Arsenal to create a gap that the remaining coaches of the league cannot reach in time.
Besides teams that are transferring forces, many coaches also consider this an opportunity to mark a new era. Mikel Arteta has been away for 7 years with Arsenal, a very impressive number in the current tight flow of English football. If there is one more person who can go for a long time with such strength, fans will hope to find a new Sir Alex or Pep Guardiola.
