9 Sept 2026 08:30 BST |
4 min read
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One Premier League manager already stands on the brink of losing his job, with his players said to be unconvinced by his approach just three games into the new season.
The sack race is the one competition no one wants to win, with it representing the manager who loses his job first in any given campaign.
While doubts have circulated over the future of Tottenham’s Roberto De Zerbi, who has himself fuelled speculation over his status as Spurs boss, Fulham’s Alvaro Arbeloa appears to be the man in greatest danger, with a report from TeamTalk underlining just how close he is to losing his position.
Arbeloa faces crucial double header as players lose faith
Arbeloa left Real Madrid at the end of the season and was swiftly appointed as Fulham boss to replace Marco Silva. He signed a three-year contract.
However, his career at Craven Cottage has not started well. The Cottagers are one of two Premier League clubs who are pointless through the opening three games of the season along with newly promoted Coventry.
Fulham’s biggest issue, though, may be the dressing-room unrest that is brewing in the background. It is claimed that some player are “unconvinced by the intensity required and the tactical tweaks demanded in a short space of time”.
Adding to Arbeloa’s problems are a couple of demanding fixtures looming. They face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday and then play Manchester United at home before the international break begins.
With that being an extended two-week break, Arbeloa would be eager to get to that point and have a prolonged period to work with his side tactically – but he may not make it that far.
New recruits backed
Arbeloa has recruited heavily from the fringes of the Real Madrid first-team squad and has singled out the summer arrivals for praise.
Speaking after the loss at Crystal Palace at the weekend, he said: “Good effort from Gonzalo Garcia, that’s the spirit I want from my players, the striker making a sprint to try and save a goal. With that spirit and character, if we play in this way, the victories will come.
“Cesar Palacios and Gonzalo Garcia both had a great game, Cesar scored a goal, and for Gonzalo another great performance.”
But while his former players in the Spanish capital appear to have been won over, that does not appear to be the case for the squad more broadly, putting Arbeloa’s future under threat.
Who could beat Arbeloa to Premier League sack?
Arbeloa is the bookmakers’ favourite to lose his job first among Premier League managers, followed by De Zerbi.
Aston Villa’s Unai Emery ranks third, having seen his side endure a difficult summer in which many of his leading players were sold without being adequately replaced.
Following this trio is a clutch of managers including Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage, who has been vocal about his frustrations with the club, Oliver Glasner in the notoriously unpredictable Nottingham Forest job, and Manchester United’s Michael Carrick, who has made a slow start to the season.
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