Five Premier League Managers Under Pressure After Five Games in 2026/27

Five matches into the 2026/27 Premier League season, the pressure is already building for several managers.

A difficult start does not define an entire campaign, but poor results, tactical concerns and growing expectations can quickly change the mood around a club. For some, the international break offers a valuable chance to reset. For others, the next few matches could prove crucial.

Here are five Premier League managers who are already feeling the heat.

1. Roberto De Zerbi

Having escaped the clutches of relegation last season, Tottenham Hotspur once again find themselves at the foot of the table.

No win in five, and their first two goals coming in the fifth match.

De Zerbi addressed the situation perfectly after the 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa, saying that he gave his players a ‘vow of silence’.

“We have to be stronger. We have to put on the pitch something more than we are putting. Football is tactical, but it is blood. It is fighting. It is first one on the ball. Without that it is tough to win the game. De Zerbi told BBC Sport

Those words are so damning, that it exposes the mentality of the club on and off the pitch.

The fact they let Villa race to a 3-0 lead in the second half, before clawing back two goals, sums up the fragile mindset of the players.

Even when you have brought in a two-time Premier League winner in Andy Robertson and an EFL Cup winner in Sandro Tonali, nothing has changed.

De Zerbi certainly galvanised them to stay in the Premier League; however, with Manchester United and Chelsea to play after the International break, the pressure escalates to another level.

Can he survive the upcoming storm?

2. Michael Carrick

Ahh, the pressure of being a permanent manager as opposed to an interim. After taking over from Ruben Amorim, the 45-year-old cemented Manchester United’s place back in the Champions League after a three-year absence.

This season, it has been not so great a start to United’s second season under Carrick.

A win, two defeats, and two draws are nowhere near the standards of how a United team should begin the season. The functional disconnect between the midfield and defence is a real concern.

What’s more alarming is that Carrick is yet to find a solution to fix it.

The main problem for United’s boss is that he is undecided about who his midfield pairing should be.

Bruno Fernandes is always the number 10, but it’s the two sitting behind him that are the issue.

You have Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, Mason Mount and Carlos Baleba (When fit).

On paper, Tielemans and Baleba look the more solid out of the five options; however, Baleba has been nursing an ankle ligament injury from the end of last season.

As United have physically imposing challenges against Atletico Madrid and Leeds United, following the clash at home to Spurs, getting that midfield fixed could determine his future at Old Trafford.

3. Álvaro Arbeloa (Fulham)

While Marco Silva did a tremendous job at maintaining the Cottagers’ status as a Premier League side, the pressure is slowly increasing on Arbeloa.

Sitting 19th in the Premier League, with no win in the first five games, the pressure is beginning to rise on the Spaniard.

The primary concern lies in attack, where they have created chances to score, but struggled to convert.

As this is Arbeloa’s first full-time senior job, he’s bound to feel the pressure of managing in the most intense league in the world.

As good as the Premier League is, it’s just as brutal if you fail to adapt quickly enough.

Ipswich Town, Coventry City, and Hull City are Fulham’s next three games post the international break.

Can he take maximum points to release the pressure on him?

4. Frank Lampard

In spite of picking up their first win against Nottingham Forrest, Lampard and Coventry City have it all to do to cement their status as a Premier League side.

Lampard has had three stints in the Premier League (2 at Chelsea, 1 with Everton). His best performance was securing Champions League football with Chelsea in 2019/20.

He managed to keep Everton in the League after the departure of Rafael Benitez in January 2022. He was unable to build on it.

Having won just one of his first 11 games. He was replaced by Sean Dyche.

A second stint at Chelsea did not go to plan, after accumulating just one win from nine matches, when he succeeded Graham Potter.

After replacing Mark Robins, he took the West Midlands side to the 2022-23 Championship Play-Off Final. They lost to Luton Town on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Nevertheless, they achieved their dream, winning the title in 2025-26. It ended the club’s 25-year wait for a return to England’s top-flight league.

Post the International break, the Sky Blues have some tricky-looking fixtures against Newcastle United, Spurs and Fulham.

If they can eke out three to four points from those games, the future may start to look bright.

For now, the pressure is on Lampard to help maintain their status as a Premier League club.

5. Andoni Iraola

Though Liverpool are unbeaten in their first five games, three draws interspersed with their two wins have sort of stalled their progress.

Despite winning the League in his first season, Arne Slot was critiqued for his possession-based style of play even though the Reds got Champions League football the following season.

Iraola needs to prove that not only is his style of football more suited to the club’s DNA, but sustainable in terms of results.

The back-to-back 2-2 draws against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle prove that there are four key problems for Iraola to fix:

• Being ruthless while controlling games
• Not being able to adjust quickly on transitions
• While the team has tremendous spirit to fight back, it lacks sustainability while doing so

While Liverpool face similar structural issues to Alonso’s Chelsea, their unbeaten start is the only difference.

In appointing Iraola, Fenway Sports Group are hoping that the Spaniard can deliver success to the club, whilst delivering his free-flowing attacking brand of football.

Can he succeed in doing that?

So with a two-week international break commencing, these five managers have it all to do to galvanise their team and get back to winning ways

Fail to do so and it could be the beginning of the end for them.

Which manager do you think is feeling the most pressure at their club?

Let us know on World in Sport.