Chelsea Lead Premier League Managerial Sackings Over Past Decade, Football365 Analysis Finds

Chelsea have changed managers more often than any other established Premier League club over the past decade, according to a Football365 review of sackings since the summer of 2016. The outlet counted nine changes at Stamford Bridge, placing Chelsea ahead of Everton (eight) and a group of clubs on seven, including Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. The analysis was published as the outlet anticipated the season's first managerial dismissal, and it set its own parameters: it looked back to summer 2016, largely restricted the field to clubs present in the Premier League throughout that period, and mostly excluded caretaker managers.

Football365 reported that Chelsea's early sackings under Roman Abramovich delivered results. Antonio Conte arrived in summer 2016 and won the league immediately, while Thomas Tuchel, the final appointment of the Abramovich era, delivered the Champions League. Maurizio Sarri, the outlet noted, won the Europa League. The picture changed after the BlueCo takeover, according to the report, which said the trophy count has dropped sharply and that no manager since Tuchel's dismissal has recorded a points-per-game average above 2. The outlet described the Club World Cup and Conference League as the closest thing to success under the new owners. It reported that Mauricio Pochettino left after one season, that Enzo Maresca averaged 1.97 points per game before being dismissed, and that Graham Potter (1.42) and Liam Rosenior (1.52) were the biggest underperformers. Xabi Alonso, described as the highest-calibre appointment so far under BlueCo, has also struggled, with the outlet linking a lack of backup to Joao Pedro to a slide from title contention to hoping for European qualification.

Everton ranked second with eight changes. Football365 characterised the list as unusual, noting it includes two former Champions League winners and describing Carlo Ancelotti's presence as feeling like a strange dream. Ancelotti had the best points-per-game record of the group at 1.60, while the outlet said most Everton managers averaged around 1.4. Frank Lampard managed only 1.00 point per game across 44 matches, and Sean Dyche was below par at 1.23, according to the report.

Tottenham and Crystal Palace shared third with seven changes each. At Spurs, the outlet traced a sequence from Jose Mourinho, sacked on the eve of a League Cup final, through Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou, whose tenure it framed as divisive: some credit him with European silverware, others point to a 17th-place finish. Thomas Frank, the last appointment under Levy, failed, per the report, and Igor Tudor's brief spell was described as one of the worst hires in Premier League history, with Spurs facing a realistic prospect of relegation before paying what the outlet called a king's ransom to bring in Roberto De Zerbi. Palace's run included Sam Allardyce, the short-lived Frank de Boer, two spells under Roy Hodgson, Patrick Vieira and Oliver Glasner, whom the outlet credited with the most successful period in the club's history; Pierre Sage has since fallen short of those standards.

Manchester United were fifth with six changes. Football365 said Mourinho was the best of the group in both trophies and points per game (1.97), and it disputed Ralf Rangnick's interim label given his 29 matches in charge. Ruben Amorim's 1.43 points per game was described as the worst of United's past decade, and the outlet noted Michael Carrick's average had dropped to 1.06 this season. Brighton, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal each recorded two or three changes, with the outlet highlighting Brighton's run of successful appointments and Fabian Hurzeler's impact. The report is an analysis by Football365, not an official confirmation of any pending dismissal.