Nine Premier League clubs will have new managers when the 2026/27 season kicks off on Friday, the most managerial churn before the start of an English top-flight campaign since 1946/47, the first season after World War II.

The unprecedented turnover has reshuffled the division’s hierarchy to such an extent that Manchester United boss Michael Carrick, who only arrived at Old Trafford in January, is already the league’s 10th-longest-serving manager.

But amongst the flurry of changes, three appointments stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of scrutiny, expectation, and sheer pressure: Enzo Maresca at Manchester City, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, and Xabi Alonso at Chelsea.

Each faces a daunting task. Each steps into the shoes of a predecessor who delivered silverware. And each will discover quickly that English football’s top tier offers no grace period, no gentle introduction, and absolutely no margin for error.

The heat is on. The microscopes are out. And Friday’s kick-off begins the countdown on whether these three high-profile appointments become triumphs or cautionary tales.

Maresca “back home” at Manchester City as Guardiola’s shadow looms large

Enzo Maresca described his Manchester City appointment as coming “back home” after his third stint at the club began this summer. He’d previously served as elite development squad lead coach in 2020/21 and assistant coach during the club’s treble-winning 2022/23 campaign before masterminding Leicester’s return to the Premier League and then winning the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup during a turbulent 18-month spell at Chelsea.

City have long regarded the 46-year-old Italian as a candidate to succeed Pep Guardiola, whose glorious decade in Manchester delivered 20 trophies and redefined what success looks like at club level. Maresca spoke of the “privilege” and “challenge” of stepping into his former boss’s shoes.

But on the evidence of City’s lacklustre 3-0 loss to Premier League champions Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, Maresca faces a mountainous task to deliver the club’s first league title since 2024. The performance was worrying, passive, disjointed, and lacking the relentless intensity that defined Guardiola’s City at their peak.

Replacing a legend is never easy. Replacing Guardiola, arguably the greatest club manager of his generation, borders on impossible. Maresca has the pedigree, the City DNA, and the tactical acumen. But does he have the personality to command a dressing room accustomed to serial trophy accumulation? Friday will begin to provide answers.

Iraola relishes Liverpool “magic” after Slot’s shock exit

Andoni Iraola told Liverpool fans he wanted to “earn the right to be one of you” after replacing Arne Slot at Anfield in one of the summer’s most surprising managerial casualties.

Dutchman Slot was shown the door just 12 months after leading the Reds to a record-equalling 20th English league title, following an alarming slump in form last term that saw Liverpool collapse spectacularly after Christmas. The decision was ruthless but, in Liverpool’s hierarchy’s view, necessary.

Iraola, 44, was hired for his tactical acumen and is expected to return Liverpool to the aggressive, high-intensity “heavy metal” football they played under beloved former manager Jürgen Klopp, who was Slot’s immediate predecessor. The Spaniard caught Liverpool’s eye after his exploits at Bournemouth, where he improved the club’s league position in each of his three campaigns, culminating in a stunning sixth-place finish last season that secured European football for the first time in the south coast club’s history.

Iraola spoke of the “magic” of the Liverpool job in his first press conference, his eyes gleaming with the kind of passion Anfield demands from its leaders. But he’ll be acutely aware he’s taking a monumental step up. The pressures will be unlike anything he’s faced so far, this is Liverpool, where expectation isn’t just high, it’s non-negotiable.

Can he handle the spotlight? Can he command respect in a dressing room full of serial winners? And can he restore the relentless winning mentality that disappeared so alarmingly under Slot? The answers will define his tenure.

Alonso has a point to prove after Real Madrid scar

Xabi Alonso was long linked with Liverpool, where he won the Champions League as a player and remains revered by the Anfield faithful. Instead, Chelsea is the next stop in his increasingly fascinating managerial career.

The Spaniard’s breakthrough as a boss came in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, where he masterminded an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double in the 2023/24 season, a campaign that announced him as one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches. That earned him the top job at his former club Real Madrid, the pinnacle of club football.

But Alonso’s stint at the Bernabeu quickly turned sour. He left the club in January after less than eight months in charge, the victim of dressing room politics, unrealistic expectations, and the ruthless standards demanded at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Alonso admitted his early Madrid exit had left a “scar” but insisted it was now healed as he looks forward to the next chapter at Stamford Bridge. The 44-year-old faces the task of steadying the ship at Chelsea after a chaotic season that started with Maresca in charge and included a short, ill-fated spell with Liam Rosenior at the helm.

The Blues struggled to a 10th-place Premier League finish and have since gone back into the transfer market, notably making Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player in history. The absence of European football could give Alonso valuable time to forge a team in his own image, working on the training pitch without the distraction of midweek fixtures.

But fewer games also make it more difficult to keep a bloated squad happy as he seeks to restore stability to a club desperately in need of calm after years of chaos.

The verdict

Maresca, Iraola, and Alonso represent three of European football’s most intriguing coaching talents. Each has proven themselves capable at different levels. Each brings fresh ideas, tactical innovation, and genuine pedigree.

But the Premier League is unforgiving. History is littered with managers who looked perfect on paper but crumbled under the relentless pressure of English football’s top tier.

Friday’s kick-off begins the most fascinating managerial season in Premier League history. Nine new bosses. Three under the fiercest spotlight. And only time will tell who survives the heat.