Pep Guardiola's status as the best manager in world football was solidified after Manchester City's run to the treble last season, and they are going all out for a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title in 2023-24. City have not had everything their own way, though, with a potential six-horse title race currently on the cards as the established order continues to shift in surprising ways.
Guardiola may still be setting the gold standard in terms of coaching, but he is certainly not the only man having a transformative effect on his team. The title race could go down to the wire this season, and there might even be a surprise name on the trophy by the time it's all over.
Jurgen Klopp appears to have made Liverpool an elite force again, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are pushing to go one better than last season, and Aston Villa and Brighton are overachieving - while Tottenham have emerged as City's closest challengers early on under the stewardship of former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou. The battle for Champions League qualification is already wide open, too, mainly due to the shocking decline of Erik ten Hag's Manchester United and Chelsea's ongoing struggles for consistency.
Newly-promoted clubs Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United are finding it difficult to put together any sort of positive run, with Bournemouth, Everton and Fulham also currently being dragged into the relegation dogfight - which could prove to be every bit as fascinating as the tussle for the title.
GOAL has rated every head coach's performance so far this season to figure out who should be the frontrunner for the Manager of the Season award - and who could be facing the sack in the near future...
Previous update: October 3, 2023.
