The Debate: Besides Pep Guardiola, who is currently the best manager in the Premier League?

The Premier League has hosted some of the greatest football managers to have graced the game and Pep Guardiola is one of the best - if not the best - to have worked in England's top flight.

Steering Manchester City to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title, Guardiola has overseen a remarkable period of sustained dominance and pushed the club to unparalleled heights.

With the general consensus that Guardiola is the greatest in the Premier League, which manager is the best of the rest?

In a division that's awash with tactically astute and motivational individuals, the bet365 News team debate which manager takes the crown of being the best in the Premier League without Guardiola present.

Mikel Arteta has been able to cultivate a genuinely world-class squad from the ground up at Arsenal.

James Wilson

Upon his appointment as Arsenal manager in December 2019, the Gunners had finished inside the Premier League’s top two in just one of the past 14 seasons.

Finishes of fifth, sixth and fifth in the three previous campaigns had left Arsenal in the Champions League wilderness and with an almost apathetic fanbase starved of success.

Arsenal, one of the country’s most famous clubs, were merely hanging onto a seat at the top table of English football.

In ex-Arsenal midfielder Arteta’s first game in charge away to Bournemouth in the Premier League in December 2019, the Gunners’ starting XI read as follows: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, David Luiz, Saka, Torreira, Xhaka, Nelson, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette.

Fast forward just under five years and the landscape at the Emirates could not look more different.

Arsenal’s strongest team at the end of last season typically lined up as follows: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

From his first matchday squad at Bournemouth in December 2019, only one player remains at the club – the sensational Bukayo Saka.

In the intervening years Basque native Arteta has been forced to mould his own Arsenal squad almost from scratch, with the latest product a group of young, hungry players who have now finished second in the Premier League in two consecutive seasons.

To put Arsenal’s outstanding performance in these past two campaigns into a wider context, the Gunners’ points total of 89 last season would have been enough to see them crowned champions in 19 of 32 Premier League seasons.

Only arguably the Premier League’s greatest ever team in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have denied Arteta’s Arsenal the league title, but a youthful Gunners side are unlikely to go away.

Arteta’s trajectory with Arsenal could be deemed comparable to that of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool.

Appointed Liverpool manager in October 2015 during a period in which the Reds had only added one League Cup to their trophy cabinet in the last nine seasons, Klopp proceeded to build a team in his own image.

This took time, with the German’s first two full seasons yielding no silverware, but consecutive top four finishes and a Champions League final appearance in 2018 showed clear signs of promise.

Klopp’s third season saw Liverpool finish runners-up to Man City and win the Champions League, with the Premier League title eventually captured in his fourth term.

In the case of Arteta, the upcoming 2024/25 campaign will mark his fifth full season as Arsenal manager, meaning he would take only one more year than Klopp to claim his maiden Premier League title should the Gunners topple City this term.

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From relegation candidates to restoring Aston Villa amongst Europe's elite, Unai Emery's work has been sensational.

Jaquob Crooke

Upon his unveiling as Aston Villa manager in October 2022, Unai Emery had a point to prove.

Three years prior he had been sacked by Arsenal after just 18 months in charge. His meticulous workings at Valencia and Sevilla were rendered meaningless and his reputation was stained with the suggestion that Emery's methods were consigned to the nation in which he hails.

Ultimately Emery wasn't the right man for Arsenal at that time. Not that his reign was an entire disaster: he had the highest win percentage of any Arsenal manager other than Mikel Arteta and his predecessor, Arsene Wenger.

But as we've witnessed consistently through the years, succeeding a managerial legend is an almost impossible task - which is why Arne Slot's tenure at Liverpool will be of great intrigue to the general football fan.

Emery returned to Spain with his tail between his legs. Resurfacing in Valencia - this time with the suburban side Villarreal - it was soon wagging again. Club record unbeaten streaks, a trademark Europa League title and an historic run to the Champions League semi-finals.

When the opportunity at Villa arose, it was the perfect fit. The foundations were present for success and now Emery is demonstrating his credentials as one of Europe's elite managers.

Inheriting an underperforming squad, the transformation of the second city outfit has been remarkable. Villa accrued 49 points in the remainder of the season, winning 15 of Emery's 25 Premier League matches and finished 7th, thus securing qualification for the Europa Conference League.

That form continued into the subsequent campaign. When 2023 concluded, only Manchester City had accumulated more Premier League points in the calendar year. There was even talk of a title challenge during the festive period: such chatter was a pipe dream prior to Emery's arrival.

The season concluded with Champions League qualification secured. Aston Villa have reawakened and it's with thanks to Emery's relentless work ethic and impeccable attention to detail.

He's been supplemented by a diligent recruitment strategy but there's a large quantity of players who have improved dramatically under Emery's supervision.

Ollie Watkins' output has improved exponentially and that's the result of the tireless work that both player, manager and coaching staff have conducted on his movement, positioning and finishing.

Leon Bailey has been a player revitalised, Ezri Konsa is now an England international and Douglas Luiz announced himself as one of the Premier League's standout performers before a lucrative transfer to Juventus this summer.

Though the Brazilian's departure leaves a significant void at the heart of Villa's midfield, Emery has proven during his tenure in B6 that he possesses the tools to adapt when key personnel are absent.

Even in the midst of an extensive injury crisis which robbed them of influential figures in Emiliano Buendia and Boubacar Kamara, Emery ensured Villa remained consistent.

If you're still not convinced, just rewatch Aston Villa's 2-0 triumph over Arsenal at the Emirates in April. It's a tactical masterclass.

This has all come from a Birmingham City fan, by the way.