Top 5 Mid-season Managerial appointments in the Premier League
The importance of a manager or head-coach cannot be understated in football. It’s a difficult and unforgiving position especially at the top clubs where results are the marker for a coach’s longevity in the job. The level of expectations is so excruciating that any failure could lead to an immediate exit. Over the years, we have witnessed many managers being sacked due to poor performances mid-season with interim or permanent appointments being made depending on availability and preference.
In many situations, the incoming managers have completely transformed the team and led their clubs to either short-term success or long-term stability and trophies. While legendary managers like Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson also took charge of their clubs’ mid-season and went on to create everlasting legacies, this piece will focus on the managers or head-coaches who joined mid-season and made an undeniable impact.
Hence, we take a look at the Top 5 mid-season managerial appointments in the Premier League –
5. David Moyes (West Ham, Nov 2019)
David Moyes had been hired by West Ham on an interim basis in November 2017 where he led the Hammers to a 13th place finish after they had been languishing in the relegation zone. However, his contract wasn’t renewed at the end of the season.
Moyes was reappointed by West Ham in November 2019 following the exit of Manuel Pellegrini after an underwhelming showing. He brought in key signings like Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse who made a huge impact as the Hammers ended up Top 7 in the next two consecutive seasons. West Ham also won the Europa Conference League defeating Fiorentina in the final in the 2022/23 season – a first silverware for the club in 43 years.
Though Moyes departed West Ham after the 2023/24 season, his five-year tenure at the club helped elevate them from a team sitting in the bottom half of the table to a top seven finish twice along with European silverware.
Joining a club with limited means in terms of financials, Moyes did an admirable job at the London club, making an appreciable impact in his short tenure.
4. Unai Emery (Aston Villa, Oct 2022)
Unai Emery’s tenure at Arsenal had been a disaster, with the Spaniard departing the club in December 2019 after a short stint. He re-entered the Premier League in October 2022 when Aston Villa sacked former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard after a string of underwhelming performances that saw them languishing in 16th place in the league table. Little did the Villa fans know that it would prove to be a masterstroke.
Upon joining Villa, Emery set about improving results and led Aston Villa to an unbelievable seventh-place finish which was their best performance since the 2010/11 season when they finished in ninth place. That season, Villa also scored in 20 consecutive games which was a record in the Premier League for the longest consecutive scoring run a team has had from the start of a manager’s tenure.
Since joining Aston Villa in the 2022/23 season, Emery has completely transformed this Aston Villa side into a team no one can take for granted. He has led Villa into European competitions thrice since then – twice in the Europa League (2023/24,2025/26) and once in the UEFA Champions League (2024/25), a return to the premier competition after a hiatus of four decades.
Emery continues to impress at Villa as they are currently in third place and looking good to ensure European qualification for the 2026/27 season yet again. Even without a massive budget like top English clubs, he has elevated the club from mid-table mediocrity to consistent European participation – an exceptional achievement from one of Spain’s top tacticians. The only thing lacking is a major silverware which could further enhance his already burgeoning reputation as an Aston Villa great.
3. Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea, Jan 2021)
The management at Stamford Bridge irrespective of the ownership has been known to be very impatient when it comes to head-coaches or managers. If instant gratification is not achieved, they do not persist with the manager and have made managerial changes midway through the campaign on several occasions. Some may have worked; some might not have but there was one particular appointment that brought instant success to the Blues and became one of the most impactful short tenures in recent times.
Thomas Tuchel joined Chelsea in January 2021 after the dismissal of former player and legend Frank Lampard. In his very first season, he led Chelsea to a UEFA Champions League final, guiding Chelsea to their second UCL trophy defeating Manchester City in the final.
The next season brought more silverware as Tuchel led the Blues to a first FIFA Club World Cup (now renamed as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup) title. The 2021/22 season ended in heartbreak though as Chelsea lost two domestic finals (EFL Cup and FA Cup) on penalties to Liverpool though they had ensured Champions League qualification.
The Chelsea management entrusted him with a huge summer transfer kitty ahead of the 2022/23 season but with Chelsea massively underperforming in the league, Tuchel was asked to part ways with the club in March 2023.
His 18-month stint at Chelsea did bring two major trophies and two finals appearances which was an unbelievable achievement considering the short duration he was granted. Such was his impact that many Chelsea faithful still believe that he should have been given a longer reign.
2. Mikel Arteta (Arsenal, Dec 2019)
Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal as a head coach in Dec 2019 after the sacking of compatriot Unai Emery. Arteta’s coaching experience prior to this big job was as an assistant-coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
In his very first season, Arteta led Arsenal to an FA Cup trophy, defeating London rivals Chelsea in the final. From next season, Arteta started a massive rebuild process at the Emirates, identifying the players he wanted and how he wanted to imbibe his style of play in the team. When he joined, Arsenal was a team that had no sense of identity and purpose and their fans wished desperately for them to get back into Champions League places.
The hard work that Arteta has put into the squad and tactics is now bearing fruit with Arsenal returning to being title-challengers and regularly competing in the Champions League as one of the favourites. Since the 2022/23 season, Arsenal have come close to winning the Premier League title on three occasions, finishing close to both Manchester City and Liverpool. In the 2024/25 season, they also reached the Champions League semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Without a doubt, the appointment of Mikel Arteta has seen a gigantic transformation at the club and the only missing piece is a major silverware in form of the Premier League or the Champions League trophy which could further intensify his reputation as one of the best young managers in Europe.
1.Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool, Oct 2015)
Liverpool had failed to return to their glory days since the late 90’s and had gone missing on the league title for three decades while their biggest rivals Manchester United went on a serial winning spree, surpassing them with 20 league titles under Sir Alex. With Brendan Rogers failing to win them the title in the 2014/15 title after coming agonizingly close, Liverpool decided to part ways with Rogers and move into a new direction and make a fresh start.
In Oct 2015, Liverpool announced former Borussia Dortmund head-coach Jürgen Klopp as the club’s new manager. Klopp is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic personalities in football management but he wasn’t just that, he was a coach par excellence as well.
In his very first season, Klopp led Liverpool to the Europa League final which they ended up losing to Sevilla but it was a superb start to life at the club and displayed his ambition early on.
In his next eight seasons, Klopp brought in the required signings, removed deadwood and transformed Liverpool into one of the most feared teams in Europe with one of the most exciting styles of play. He led Liverpool to all major club level trophies including the UEFA Champions League (2019/20), Premier League (2020/21) and FIFA Club World Cup (2020/21) amongst other major honours. In his tenure, Liverpool finished three seasons with 90+ points, twice losing the title by one point and also reached three UCL finals in four years.
Klopp’s gegen-pressing high-intensity style not only helped the club win trophies but also endeared him to the Anfield faithful as one of their own. He not only brought long lost glory days back at the club but also turned Liverpool fans from doubters to believers.
For the kind of overall influence he had not only on Liverpool but the Premier League in general, he remains our top pick for the most impactful mid-season managerial signing.
