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The 2019-20 edition of the Premier League is well underway and with 13 games played, a handful of teams find themselves in unfamiliar positions. Liverpool and Manchester City were expected to battle it out to the wire yet again but Jurgen Klopp's side have left the chasing pack well behind, as they find themselves 8 points clear of Leicester City in the Premier League summit, who've been a breath of fresh air under Brendan Rodgers.
The Foxes, alongside Sheffield United, have exceeded expectations this season and find themselves in second place after 13 games, a sensational return considering the circumstances. Manchester United and Arsenal, two of the biggest clubs of yesteryear under Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger respectively, have been left behind in the race for the top four spots after a series of underwhelming results.
Tottenham Hotspur, in the wake of recent results, opted to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino to salvage their season and Jose Mourinho made a shock return to the Premier League, as he took over the reins from the Argentine.
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Football, at the end of the day, is a cut-throat business and the fact that a clubs could part ways with their manager after a string of bad results is an occupational hazard. On that note, let's look at 5 managers who are on the brink of the sack in the Premier League.
#5 Ralph Hasenhuttl - Southampton
Since taking over the reins from Mark Hughes in December 2018, Ralph Hasenhuttl has done reasonably well at Southampton to steady the ship but the new campaign has been a bit of a reality check for the Saints. The South Coast club find themselves in the relegation zone, with just 9 points from 13 games and are just a point above Watford, who are languishing in the foot of the Premier League.
Southampton are winless in their last 5 encounters in the English top-flight, a run that includes an embarrassing 0-9 defeat against Leicester City at home, a result that put the Austrian tactician on the brink of the sack. Since then, his side have earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates but Hasenhuttl's could well be the next Premier League manager to get the boot, as Southampton fall deeper and deeper into a relegation scrap.
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#4 Manuel Pellegrini - West Ham United
Although West Ham didn't set the world alight with their start to the season, the Hammers did reasonably well and found themselves in the top half of the Premier League standings after their stunning 2-0 victory against Manchester United in October. Since then, Manuel Pellegrini's side have failed to win a game in the Premier League and their woes have been compounded in recent weeks, as the club's injury list continues to grow with every passing week.
West Ham bolstered their ranks with the big-money additions of Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller this summer but have failed to kick on from where they left off last season, casting doubts over Pellegrini's position at the club. The Hammers' squad on paper is arguably one of the best outside the top-six but his side have failed to replicate that on the pitch, as they find themselves just 3 points clear of the relegation zone in 16th place.
Pellegrini is a Premier League-winning manager with Manchester City but West Ham could part ways with him reluctantly if results don't improve in the coming weeks, as it would represent too big a risk for the club to persist with a manager if on-field performances don't pay dividends to their investment off it.
#3 Marco Silva - Everton
Marco Silva's position at Everton has come under immense scrutiny in recent weeks, as the Toffees have slipped to 15th position in the league standings after 13 games. The Merseyside club were active as ever in the transfer market and bolstered their ranks with 6 first-team signings worth over £100 million, as they looked to make a mark in the Premier League and qualify for Europe.
Only Norwich City and Watford have lost more league games than Everton this season and the Canaries piled on their misery further this weekend, as Daniel Farke's side registered a shock 2-0 victory at Goodison Park, a result that put Silva on the brink of the sack.
In recent weeks, fans and pundits have voiced their frustration towards the manager and the Portuguese tactician seems like a man living on borrowed time, as Everton continue to slide down the Premier League table with every passing game. Time is running out for the former Hull City boss and results need to improve dramatically in the coming ways for Silva to have a realistic chance of retaining his job for the time being.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Manchester United
Manchester United have made the worst start to a league campaign in the Premier League era despite spending the most of any club in the English top-flight this summer, a series of events that has put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's position at the club in serious jeopardy. The Norwegian steadied the ship sensationally after taking over the reins from Jose Mourinho last summer but since getting the job permanently, the Red Devils have been underwhelming, to say the least.
United's woes were compounded this weekend, as they rallied back from two goals behind to lead against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, but the Blades secured a last-gasp draw as Oliver McBurnie scored in stoppage time to cap off a stunning 3-3 draw. In a whirlwind second half spell, Manchester United's Premier League season was personified perfectly as the record English champions went from exhilarating to exasperating in a matter of minutes.
Mauricio Pochettino has long been linked with the Manchester United job and with the Argentine out of a job since his sacking at Tottenham Hotspur last week, Solskjaer's position could be reevaluated in the coming weeks, with the club sitting in 9th position, 9 points behind Chelsea in 4th place.
#1 Unai Emery - Arsenal
Since taking over the reins last season, it could be argued that Arsenal are no better under Unai Emery than they were in Arsene Wenger's twilight years at the club. The Gunners' start to the season has been disappointing, to say the least and in recent weeks, they have been marred with off-field controversy involving Granit Xhaka and speculation surrounding Emery's future at the club.
Under Emery, Arsenal have lacked an identity and their defensive woes have been compounded in recent weeks, as they've continued to leak goals at an unhealthy rate. Aside from their problems on the pitch, it has also been reported that a handful of players are not convinced with his training methods and the controversy involving Xhaka's angry confrontation with the fans has only made matters worse for the three-time Europa League winner.
Arsenal are winless in their last 5 Premier League encounters and their dismal run of form has seen them slip to 8th position in the Premier League standings, 8 points behind Chelsea in 4th place. Recent reports suggest that there is a growing belief around the club that Emery is not the right man to take Arsenal forward and it remains likely that the Spaniard will move at some point between now and the end of the season.
