Top 5 mid-season Premier League managerial appointments of the past decade

The importance of a manager or head coach cannot be overstated in football. It’s a difficult and unforgiving position, especially at the very top, where results are often the sole decider of how long a coach lasts in their 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 getting the sack 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 gone on to completely transform the team, leading them to either short-term success or long-term stability.

While legendary managers like Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson also took charge of their respective sides mid-season and went on to create everlasting legacies, here we focus on the managers and head coaches who joined a Premier League side mid-season after the start of the 2015/16 season and made an undeniable impact.

5. David Moyes | West Ham United | November 2019

David Moyes was hired by West Ham on an interim basis in November 2017. He led the Hammers to a 13th-place finish in the league, after they had been languishing in the relegation zone for most of the season, but 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 a string of underwhelming performances, this time on a permanent basis. This time, he had an even bigger impact, leading West Ham to a top-seven finish in the Premier League over the next two seasons. West Ham also won the UEFA Conference League under his leadership, defeating Fiorentina in the final of the 2022/23 season to lift their first trophy in 43 years. 

Though Moyes departed West Ham after the 2023/24 season, his five-year tenure at the London Stadium helped elevate the Irons from being a bottom-half team preoccupied with relegation to a side fighting for European places as well as boasting European silverware.

At a club with limited means in terms of financials compared to the Premier League juggernauts, Moyes did an admirable job, making an appreciable impact in his short tenure with the East London outfit.

4. Unai Emery | Aston Villa | October 2022

Unai Emery’s tenure at Arsenal had been a disaster, with the Spaniard departing the club in December 2019 after a short stint after succeeding the legendary Arsène Wenger. He re-entered the Premier League in October 2022 when Aston Villa sacked Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, after a string of underwhelming performances left them languishing in 16th place in the league table.

Little did the Villa fans know that it would prove to be a masterstroke. Right after his arrival, Emery set about improving results and led Villa to an unbelievable seventh-place finish, which was their best performance since the 2010/11 season, when they finished ninth. In 2022/23, Villa also scored in 20 consecutive games, which was a record in the Premier League for the longest consecutive scoring run for any side from the start of a manager’s tenure.

Emery has completely transformed the Villans, who are no longer taken for granted. He has led Villa into European competitions thrice — twice in the Europa League (2023/24, 2025/26) and once in the UEFA Champions League (2024/25), having ended their four-decade hiatus from the premier European competition.

The 54-year-old continues to impress at Villa Park, with his team currently in third place and looking good to at least secure European football for the 2026/27 season. Even without a massive budget like Big Six sides, he has elevated Villa from mid-table mediocrity to consistent European participation, which is an exceptional achievement from one of Spain’s top tacticians. The only thing lacking from his Villa chapter is silverware, which could further enhance his already burgeoning reputation as an Aston Villa great.

3. Thomas Tuchel | Chelsea | January 2021

The management at Stamford Bridge, irrespective of the ownership, has been known to be very impatient. If instant gratification is not achieved, they do not persist with the manager and have often made changes midway through the season on several occasions. Some have worked, while some haven’t, though there was one particular appointment that brought instant success to the Blues and has proved to be one of the most impactful short tenures in recent times.

Thomas Tuchel joined Chelsea in January 2021 after the dismissal of club legend Frank Lampard. In his very first season, he led Chelsea to their second-ever UEFA Champions League trophy, beating Manchester City in the final, having also helped them secure a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The next season brought more silverware, as Tuchel led the Blues to their first FIFA Club World Cup (now renamed the FIFA Intercontinental Cup) trophy as well as the UEFA Super Cup title. The 2021/22 season ended in heartbreak, though, as Chelsea lost two domestic finals (EFL Cup and FA Cup), both on penalties to Liverpool, though they ensured Champions League qualification.

The new Chelsea ownership entrusted Tuchel in the beginning and brought in a number of players ahead of the 2022/23 season, but with the team massively underperforming in the league, Tuchel was relieved of his duties in March 2023.

His 18-month stint brought Chelsea three trophies and two final appearances, which was an unbelievable achievement considering how short his time at the club was. Such was his impact, that many among the Chelsea faithful still believe that he should have had a longer reign.

2. Mikel Arteta | Arsenal | December 2019

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta returned to the Emirates as head coach in December 2019 after the dismissal of compatriot Unai Emery. Arteta’s coaching experience prior to this big job was limited to an assistant role in Pep Guardiola’s coaching setup at Manchester City.

In his very first season, Arteta led Arsenal to an FA Cup trophy, defeating London rivals Chelsea in the final. From the next season onwards, Arteta started a massive rebuild process at the Emirates, identifying the players he wanted and the style of play he wanted his players to imbibe. On his arrival, Arsenal were a team with little sense of identity and purpose, and their fans wished desperately for them to become Champions League regulars.

The hard work that Arteta has put into the squad over the years is now bearing fruit, with Arsenal having now become perennial title challengers in the Premier League and regularly competing in the Champions League. 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 resulted in a gigantic transformation of Arsenal’s fortunes. Even though the Gunners have won three trophies with him at the helm (one FA Cup and two FA Community Shields), major silverware has eluded them. Winning either the Premier League or the Champions League — if not both — would go on to categorically establish Arteta as one of the best young managers in Europe.

1. Jürgen Klopp | Liverpool | October 2015

Liverpool had fallen quite far off from the glory days since the late 90s, having failed to win the English top-flight title for three decades, while their biggest rivals Manchester United went on a serial winning spree and surpassed them with 20 league titles under Sir Alex Ferguson’s leadership.

With Brendan Rodgers failing to win them the league title in the 2014/15 season after coming agonisingly close, Liverpool decided to part ways with Rodgers midway through the next season and make a fresh start. In October 2015, they announced former Borussia Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp as their new manager. Klopp is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic personalities in football management, but he is a coach par excellence as well.

In his very first season, Klopp led Liverpool to the UEFA Europa League final, which they ended up losing to Sevilla, though 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.

Klopp led Liverpool to all major club trophies, including the UEFA Champions League (2018/19), the Premier League (2019/20), and the FIFA Club World Cup (2019) among other major honours. During his tenure, Liverpool finished three Premier League campaigns with 90+ points, twice losing the title by one point on the final day, and reaching three Champions League finals in four years.

Klopp’s gegenpressing, high-intensity style not only helped the Reds win trophies, but also endeared him to the Anfield faithful as one of their own. He became the one who brought the long-lost glory days back to the club, turning doubters into believers. For the kind of overall influence he had not only on Liverpool but the Premier League in general, the German remains our top pick for the most impactful mid-season managerial signing in the Premier League of the past decade.