Unai Emery, Xabi Alonso and the 15 best managerial jobs of the 2023-24 season so far - ranked

For most people, Guardiola was already top of the coaching tree before Manchester City's treble success in 2022-23, but he also managed to win over his fiercest critics by delivering an elusive Champions League crown to Etihad Stadium at the seventh time of asking.

City have picked up from where they left off in Europe, blasting through to the last-16 again with maximum points in the group stage, and they are rightfully favourites to lift the trophy again come June 1. Guardiola has, however, been unable to prevent a dip in Premier League performance, with City slipping to fourth in the table after a run of just two wins in seven games between November and December.

Bad luck with injuries has played a part as the champions' aura of invincibility has slipped, but they are still well in the title race, and regained lost confidence after storming to another trophy at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Guardiola will make sure his troops are firing on all cylinders at the business end of the campaign, which is why City are still the team to beat.

Alguacil guided Sociedad to fourth-place in La Liga last season, which earned the club a spot in the Champions League for the first time in a decade. They haven't been content to just make up the numbers either, with the Basque side finishing top of Group D ahead of Inter to reach the knockout stage.

Sociedad boast the best defensive record in Europe's most prestigious competition, which is testament to how well Alguacil has organised the group, and they will fancy another big upset against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. Juggling Champions League commitments with La Liga has proven difficult for Sociedad, who find themselves seven points adrift of the top-four after 18 games, but Alguacil will make sure that his players keep fighting until the bitter end while striking the best possible balance between attack and defence.

Simeone has spent the last 11 years of his career on the Atletico touchline, and looks hungrier than ever for success. The Argentine signed a new three year contract in November that will keep him at the Metropolitano until at least 2027, which was well deserved, with his current crop in great shape to add more trophies to the club cabinet.

Atletico are sitting third in the La Liga table, ahead of holders Barcelona, and few would bet against them being there or thereabouts in the final title reckoning. But their most impressive performances so far have come in the Champions League, with Simeone implementing a more attack-minded style that propelled Atletico to the Group E summit with 17 goals scored - the second best haul in the competition.

They were subsequently handed a tough last-16 draw against Inter, but a victory over the Italian giants could mark the beginning of another special run. Simeone has two runners' up medals already and looks hellbent on winning gold this time around, with the entire Atletico squad fully behind their passionate manager's vision.

Bosz had big shoes to fill after taking over at PSV, with his predecessor Ruud van Nistelrooy winning the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup before stepping down in May. PSV still finished seven points behind Eredivsie winners Feyenoord last term, though, and Bosz has made it his mission to shift the balance of the power at the top of the table.

The Eindhoven club have opened the new campaign with 16 wins out of 16, including a 2-1 away triumph over Feyenoord, who are already 10 points off the pace. Bosz has instantly won over the PSV faithful with his attractive style of play, and also managed to get the team out of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2015-16, with a very winnable tie against Borussia Dortmund up next.

PSV look certain to sweep the biggest honours in the Netherlands and could also keep surprising people in Europe, with Bosz now well and truly back among the managerial elite after a forgettable spell at Lyon.

Copa del Rey glory did little to paper over the cracks of a disappointing 2022-23 for Real, who lost out to Barca in La Liga after suffering a humiliating Champions League semi-final loss to Man City. Still, there was never any real doubt over Ancelotti's position, and the Blancos have bounced back in strong fashion thanks to his shrewd management.

Real posted a perfect Champions League group stage record and find themselves back at the La Liga summit having only conceded 11 goals in domestic competition. At the other end of the pitch, €103 million (£90m/$115m) summer signing Jude Bellingham has been spearheading their charge with 17 goals scored in his first 21 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Ancelotti's ability to handle the biggest personalities has always set him apart from his peers, and Bellingham's meteoric rise counts as another feather in his cap. If the Italian tactician can continue to get the best out of perhaps the most talented English export of all-time, Real will take some stopping in their latest pursuit of the biggest trophies the game has to offer.

Arteta has only a solitary FA Cup success on his CV since taking over at Arsenal in December 2019, but it's fair to say he has restored the high standards set during the peak years of Arsene Wenger's reign. The Spaniard has a deep understanding of Arsenal's core values, having also played for the club between 2011 and 2016, with a winner's mentality that has rubbed off on every member of the dressing room.

Experience as Guardiola's assistant at City has also helped Arteta affect significant change at Emirates Stadium as Arsenal have re-emerged as title contenders while playing a fluid brand of football that is always easy on the eye.

The Gunners narrowly missed out on Premier League glory last season, but look well placed to go one better thanks to some smart summer business, with club-record signing Declan Rice standing out most after adding greater steel to the engine room. Arsenal have also made steady progress on their return to the Champions League, and Arteta will stop at nothing to deliver tangible rewards to a success-starved fanbase in the coming months.

Farioli was a surprise choice to replace Dider Digard in the Nice dugout over the summer, but it has proven to be a masterstroke. The 32-year-old, who learned his trade as Roberto de Zerbi's No.2 at Benevento and Sassuolo, has taken Nice from ninth to second in Ligue 1, with just five points separating them and PSG at the top.

Nice managed to beat PSG at Parc des Princes in September and also took three points at the home of their other main title rivals Monaco, which shows they can more than hold their own against the big boys. Farioli has turned Nice into the most stern defensive side in French football, and while there are still plenty of improvements to be made going forward, they have also been clinical enough to pick up regular wins and stay on PSG's coattails.

Farioli's pragmatic approach could yet yield the ultimate prize for Nice, who must be considered genuine contenders for the Ligue 1 crown, especially if they are able to make one or two signings in the January window.

Liverpool had been the closest challengers to City for the best part of five years before last season, which saw Klopp's side suffer an alarming dip in form that culminated in a fifth-placed Premier League finish. It was clear that a rebuild was needed to address their slide, and the German boss has executed it perfectly, freshening up an ageing midfielder with the additions of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

The Reds were already blessed with attacking riches, and although Mohamed Salah has once again been their main source of goals in 2023-24, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo have also chipped in with healthy totals. Virgil van Dijk and Alisson have rediscovered their best form at the back, too, with Liverpool now chasing the title again while also making it through to the latter stages of the Europa League and Carabao Cup.

Klopp's mentality monsters are back because he has been able to assemble another team capable of following his high-intensity tactical blueprint to the letter, and the scary thing is, it feels like this explosive, efficient version of Liverpool still has a couple more gears to go through.

When Hoeness inherited the reins at MHPArena following Bruno Labbadia's sacking in May, Stuttgart were 18th in the Bundesliga table and five points away from safety. The former Hoffenheim boss managed to save Stuttgart from relegation, but expectations were still pretty low heading into the new season given an apparent lack of resources.

What Die Schwaben have achieved since then has been nothing short of remarkable, with a confidence-stricken squad embracing a forward-thinking strategy that has lifted them to third in the Bundesliga standings. Hoeness has been able to overpower opposition teams by playing a 3-3-4 formation in possession and placing emphasis on providing quality service for star striker Serhou Guirassy, who has hit 17 goals in just 14 appearances - a haul which can only be bettered by Bayern Munich goal machine Harry Kane.

Stuttgart probably won't have enough strength in depth to push Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen all the way for the title, but they are a thrilling side to watch under Hoeness, and can certainly start dreaming of a place in the Champions League.

Inzaghi has done a brilliant job in his first two-and-a-half years in charge of Inter, with four trophies racked up alongside a Champions League final appearance. In actual fact, the Nerazzurri were very unlucky to lose last season's European showpiece against City, but they very much overperformed in that competition after a mediocre Serie A campaign that saw them finish third - 18 points behind eventual champions Napoli.

The Scudetto has been Inzaghi's top priority this time around, and Inter have stormed into first place with 11 wins from their opening 14 fixtures. Inter are by far the top scorers in the division and also boast the meanest defence, with statement victories over arch rivals Milan and Napoli affirming their status as the best team in Italy right now.

Inzaghi knows exactly how to minimize risk and finish off opponents at the right moment, which is why Inter must also be considered a big threat in the Champions League again, despite a rather uninspiring group stage showing. The Nerazzurri are once again among the best sides on the continent thanks to Inzaghi, who has a great chance of bringing more top honours to San Siro in the second half of the season.

Tottenham endured a miserable period after Mauricio Pochettino's sacking in 2019, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all failing to deliver silverware after refusing to alter their safety-first, counter-attacking gameplans. Spurs plunged to eighth last season and then lost top scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, which actually helped to take the pressure off their newest manager: the non-nonsense Australian trainer Postecoglou.

Spurs supporters have finally been treated to some entertainment this season as Postecoglou has lifted the spirits of the entire club with a high-pressing system that allows the team to suffocate the opposition and cause maximum damage in the final third. Postecoglou encourages his players to express themselves freely, which has helped the likes of Son Heung-min and summer signing James Maddison to flourish, with very few teams able to cope with Tottenham's energy on the transition.

An untimely injury crisis halted Spurs' momentum heading into the festive period, but they've adapted admirably to stay in the Champions League qualification picture. Postecgolou's men cannot be completely written out of the title race either, especially given the fact they will be boosted by the return of several key players in the new year.

Barcelona legend Motta enjoyed an impressive debut season at Bologna, taking the club up to eighth in the Serie A table, but few would have predicted he could improve on that showing in 2023-24. Bologna are, however, on course to do exactly that, with 31 points amassed already - their best total at the half way point of a season since 1994.

This Bologna side runs itself into the ground for Motta, who likes to pack the midfield to leave space for his full-backs to bomb forward, but has also demonstrated that he can be tactically flexible depending on the opposition. Motta's meticulous nature has ensured that Bologna are a match for any team in Italy and now that they've broken into the top-four, it may be difficult for the likes of Napoli and Roma to get back in.

Scottish midfielder Lewis Ferguson and former Bayern forward Joshua Zirkzee have shone under Motta's guidance along with defensive duo Sam Beukema and Riccardo Califiori, and few would bet against Bologna staying the course if they can keep their best players fit. The real challenge will be keeping Motta away from Europe's biggest clubs, with his current contract set to expire next summer.

Girona's ascent up the La Liga table has been dismissed by some due to their status as City Football Group members. They are not owned outright by Premier League giants City, but do have access to similar financial power and a wide loan network, which gave them means to strengthen their squad significantly in the last transfer window.

Savio, Eric Garcia and Pablo Torre all arrived at Girona on loan while Daley Blind joined on a free transfer, and Yangel Herrera made his loan move from City permanent. Artem Dovbyk and Ivan Martin were also snapped up, with Michel carefully choosing his targets in a bid to improve on an impressive 10th place finish in the club's first season back in La Liga.

Girona have already done so in emphatic fashion, picking up 45 points from their first 18 games - just four less than they managed in the whole of 2022-23 - to emerge as Real Madrid and Barcelona's biggest rivals for the title. Yes, Michel has benefitted from enhanced resources, but he's utilised them to great effect and carved out a niche for Girona by focusing on building attacks from out wide, and his fearless approach could lead the club to a historic season the likes of which La Liga has not seen for many years.

Aston Villa opened their campaign with a 5-1 loss away at Newcastle, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game, along with a glowing endorsement from legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. "Honestly, Aston Villa played fantastic football, and just lost bad goals," Ferguson said. "It's a surprising game, football. You can play teams off the pitch and not score - that's what Aston Villa did."

Emery stuck to his principles after that false start and Villa have continued to dominate their opponents while setting up with a high line and pressing relentlessly to cut down space between the lines when out of possession. They have been unbeatable so far at Villa Park, with eight wins and one draw recorded on home turf, with Man City and Arsenal among those unable to match Emery's side for collective creativity or effort.

At the very least, Villa should be aiming for the Champions League after picking up 39 points from a possible 57, but a title charge could also still be on the cards if they can avoid any serious injuries with the Europa Conference League knockout stage still to come. Emery became a figure of ridicule during his failed spell at Arsenal, but no one is laughing at him now, and the Spaniard's ingenuity might just lead Villa to their greatest ever Premier League season.

There was an overwhelming sense of inevitability about Bayern's 11th successive Bundesliga triumph last season, even though it only came after Borussia Dortmund's now-infamous final day collapse. Dortmund lacked the inner-belief needed to dethrone Germany's biggest club, who have not been pushed to their limits nearly enough over the past decade.

But the most important story to come out of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season was that of Bayer Leverkusen, who rose from 17th to sixth after the appointment of Xabi Alonso in October last year. Alonso was then able to strengthen his squad with new players such as Granit Xhaka, Alex Grimaldo, Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann, leading to talk of a potential tilt at Bayern's crown.

Leverkusen have more than lived up to their billing as outsiders for the title, with 13 wins and three draws from their opening 16 games taking them to summit, four points clear of Bayern - albeit having played a game more. Former Liverpool and Bayern playmaker Alonso, another to benefit from working with Guardiola, has turned Leverkusen into pass masters who like to defend from the front and play through the lines from the back.

Bayern have only really been able to keep pace because of Kane's goals, with Alonso's Leverkusen looking like a far more well-rounded, dynamic outfit than Thomas Tuchel's team. Leverkusen have a 100 percent record in the Europa League so far, too, and Alonso is now the most sought-after young coach in the business, with the potential to go on and succeed Guardiola outright at the very top.