Key Takeaways
Managers in the Premier League often face shocking defeats that can be career-defining.
Even the world's best managers have faced embarrassing defeats - and those are often most memorable.
A string of bad results can lead to a manager losing their job - and some of these defeats cost managers their position in charge.
The Premier League is home to some of the greatest managers on the planet, but even the best of those in the dugouts have been on the wrong end of terrible defeats.
Football as a sport isn't so simple as the best teams and personnel winning 100% of the time - and surprise results can happen at any time - depending on a number of factors, but it is often these shock outcomes that stick in the hearts and minds of fans, and can often be the defeats that managers find it hardest to bounce back from. Bad results can cost a manager his job - and in the case of a few, their careers entirely at a top-flight level. Poor results come in a number of forms, and a particularly bad loss might not necessarily be a heavy scoreline - it may be a defeat to a rival, or an upset against perceived weaker opponents.
Every manager in football has been on the wrong end of disappointing results, and even the best are not immune to disappointment - but what sets the best apart is their ability to recover and still achieve success in the face of adversity. With that said, we have picked out every Premier League manager's worst-ever career defeat.
Ranking factors
Impact - what knock-on effect did the defeat had for the manager and the team's fortunes.
Shock factor - how unexpected the result was.
Scale of defeat - Heavy defeats are often the toughest for fans to digest, and the most embarrassing for the club in question.
Every Premier League Manager's Worst Ever Defeat
Club
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Bournemouth
Brentford
Brighton
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Ipswich
Leicester
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham
West Ham
Wolves
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa, 8th November 2020
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal have gone from strength to strength during Mikel Arteta's tenure at the Emirates, but it was a difficult start for the Spaniard in the Gunners hot seat, with the club struggling on and off the pitch, and despite Arteta overseeing an upturn in fortunes during his first full season in charge in the 2020/21 campaign, he was just powerless to stop a dismal 3-0 home defeat to Dean Smith's Aston Villa. A double from Ollie Watkins followed an unfortunate own goal from Bukayo Saka, as the hosts slipped to 11th place in the Premier League following the result. Arsenal would recover to 8th by the end of the season, and have made huge strides since, but this was a dark day for Arteta's side.
Unai Emery
Barcelona 6-1 PSG, 8th March 2017
Unai Emery
In one of the most famous comeback wins of all time, Unai Emery's PSG team were on the wrong end of a 6-1 defeat to Barcelona at the Nou Camp, knocking the Parisians out of the Champions League, despite having won the first leg 4-0. The Barça team, featuring Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, among others, ran riot on the night, in a game where roles were reversed from the first leg with PSG dominating. However, Edinson Cavani's away goal on the night in Spain gave the visitors what seemed to be a crucial away goal that would secure qualification, and in the 88th minute PSG looked like they had done enough with the score at 3-1 on the day, but three late goals from the hosts ensured a famous victory for Barcelona, and an embarrassing evening for Emery.
Andoni Iraola
Manchester City 6-1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH, 4th November 2023
Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola's managerial career has only been relatively short - with his first managerial job being with Cypriot outfit AEK Larnacas, but this defeat for the Cherries away at Manchester City is the heaviest of his career so far. Bournemouth entered this game struggling at the wrong end of the table, and expectations were low for the side at the Etihad, but a 6-1 reverse was damaging to the club's goal difference as the Spaniard attempted to lift the club up the table. Alex Scott also sustained a nasty injury in this fixture as the day went from bad to worse for the club, in a game where Jeremy Doku registered a goal and four assists as Bournemouth were put to the sword.
Thomas Frank
BRENTFORD 1-2 Barnsley, 22nd July 2020
Brentford boss Thomas Frank watching on from the touchline
A 2-1 defeat may not seem like a disaster - but that is exactly what it was for Thomas Frank and Brentford in July 2020 as they suffered a shock defeat at home to relegation-threatened Barnsley. The Bees simply needed to beat West Brom's result on the final day to secure promotion to the top flight, and with the Baggies drawing at home with QPR, Brentford had a golden opportunity to make that goal a reality in their final season at Griffin Park, but they were bested by a Barnsley side who secured their survival with the victory. It only got worse for Frank, as they were forced to settle for the play-offs, in which they were defeated in the final by London rivals Fulham, and therefore spent another season in the Championship.
Fabian Hurzeler
ST PAULI 3-4 Elversberg, 14th April 2024
Fabian Hurzeler
The youngest manager in the Premier League, Fabian Hurzeler has had few examples of defeats in his career, only losing seven times in 18 months as St Pauli manager before his move to Brighton, but it was one of those that was the most difficult across the 31-year-old's short career. In the midst of a title challenge, St Pauli suffered a surprise defeat at home to mid-table side Elversberg in the 2. Bundesliga, that threatened to halt their quest to return to the top flight for the first time since 2012. The usually defensively resolute St Pauli found Elversberg's attack to hot to handle in this one, as they conceded four second half goals, and despite a late consolation from Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine, it was not enough to prevent a disappointing defeat. St Pauli did still go on to win the 2. Bundesliga, so this defeat was not damaging to the whole season.
Enzo Maresca
Plymouth Argyle 1-0 LEICESTER CITY, 12th April 2024
Leciester City manager Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca led Leicester City back to the Premier League as champions in his only season in charge of the Foxes, but the season was not without its bumps on the road, one of which being this 1-0 defeat to relegation-battling Plymouth, as the club began to stutter on its quest to return to the top flight. This was the club's second straight defeat, coming just days after a loss at Millwall, and allowed the chasing Southampton, Ipswich and Leeds to make up ground on them. Argyle could have had more goals on the day after a poor performance from the Foxes, and questions were asked of Maresca by some sections of the Leicester fanbase, but the Italian still helped the club to claim the Championship title come the end of the campaign.
Oliver Glasner
Mannheim 2-0 EINTRACHT FRANKFURT, 8th August 2021
New Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner with a ball when he was Eintracht Frankfurt coach
Oliver Glasner's worst defeat as a manager is the embarrassing first-round exit from the DfB-Pokal at the hands of third-tier minnows Mannheim whilst in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt. Glasner fielded a strong side, but they were no match for their lower division opponents, falling to two goals behind even before the dismissal of centre-back Martin Hinteregger. The game was Glasner's first competitive fixture in charge of the club, and made for a less-than-ideal start for the new manager, although he soon turned it around, as he helped Frankfurt to win the Europa League in the 2021/22 season, beating Barcelona along the way, securing the club's first European silverware for over fourty years.
Sean Dyche
BURNLEY 0-1 Lincoln City, 18th February 2017
Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche had a hugely successful spell as Burnley manager - but this FA Cup Round of 16 defeat was a huge low point. The visitors, Lincoln, were flying high in the National League, and had beaten teams including Brighton and Ipswich on their way to the last 16 - but this victory was the most shocking of all as the Clarets were a Premier League side at the time. The defeat was all the more surprising given Burnley's impressive record at Turf Moor - with just three defeats in 29 games prior to this cup tie. Lincoln's win made them the first non-league side to make the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 103 years, and the first non-league team to beat Premier League opposition since 2013. They were beaten 5-0 by Arsenal in the quarter-finals, but nonetheless it was a remarkable achievement for Lincoln, and a humiliating cup exit for Dyche and Burnley.
Marco Silva
Liverpool 5-2 EVERTON, 4th December 2019
Marco Silva applauds
Marco Silva's most bruising defeat as a manager came during his spell with Everton, as he was on the wrong end of a hefty 5-2 loss in the Merseyside derby at Anfield, in his final game as Toffees manager, as he was sacked soon afterwards. Everton were 18th at the time of his departure with the club struggling on and off the field. The Portuguese manager had been in charge for 19 months, and despite an 8th place finish in his first campaign in 2018/19, the club's fortunes dwindled in his remaining time at Goodison Park. He took over at Fulham two years afterwards and has had success, helping the club back to the Premier League and establishing the Cottagers as a consistent top-flight club.
Kieran McKenna
IPSWICH TOWN 1-2 Maidstone United, 27th January 2024
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna watches on from the dugout
Kieran McKenna's stint in charge of Ipswich has largely been immensely successful, as he guided the Tractor Boys to consecutive promotions from League One to the Premier League - but the club's FA Cup 4th Round exit at the hands of Maidstone United in January leaves a stain on his record. With Ipswich flying high in the Championship, they welcomed 6th-tier Maidstone to Portman Road expecting passage to the 5th round, but they were shocked by a team a staggering 98 places below them in the English football pyramid. Maidstone bipecame the first side from below the top five tiers to ever make it to the 5th round of the FA Cup with this victory, making it all the more embarrassing for Ipswich. McKenna bounced back by taking the club to the Premier League for the first time in over 20 years, but this result will live long in the memory.
Steve Cooper
Fulham 5-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST, 6th December 2023
Steve Cooper
Steve Cooper's worst defeat as a manager was the 5-0 thrashing that his Nottingham Forest side received from Fulham at Craven Cottage in the 2023/24 season. Forest were in their second Premier League season having returned via the play-offs in 2022, with Cooper responsible for helping the club return to the top-flight for the first time in 24 years - but they entered this game with just one win in ten, and looking set for a relegation dogfight. They never got going in this one as Fulham dominated the encounter from minute one, and despite Cooper receiving the backing of the board and the fans after the game, he was sacked less than two weeks later, before taking the job at Forest's rivals Leicester in June 2024.
Arne Slot
Roma 4-1 FEYENOORD, 20th April 2023
Arne Slot
Arne Slot has had plenty of success in his career across every club he's managed - but this defeat to Roma in the 2022/23 Europa League semi-finals was certainly a low point for the Dutchman. Having won 1-0 in the first leg, Feyenoord thought they'd done enough in the return leg when Igor Paixao's strike made it 1-1 with ten minutes to go of the second leg, but when Paulo Dybala forced extra time with a late goal, the Dutch giants fell apart in extra time, eventually losing 4-1 and crashing out of the competition. Roma would go on to reach the final, where they would lose on penalties to Sevilla, while Slot and Feyenoord were left ruing what might've been. The tie was a repeat of the previous year's inaugural Conference League final, which Feyenoord also lost - making this defeat all the more painful, while Slot also clashed with Roma boss Jose Mourinho before, during and after the chastening defeat.
Pep Guardiola
BAYERN MUNICH 0-4 Real Madrid, 29th April 2014
Man City manager Pep Guardiola looking pained
Pep Guardiola is arguably the best manager of all time - but this 4-0 defeat at home to Real Madrid during his spell in charge of Bayern Munich was especially painful, both professionally and personally - and showed that even the best of the best can be beaten on their day. This was the Champions League semi-final of 2014 - and after a 1-0 defeat at the Bernabeu - Bayern were still well in the tie, but they were completely outclassed by Madrid at the Allianz, as Pep fell to his biggest-ever defeat with a 4-0 home reverse. The added factor of his Barcelona connections made this defeat all the more painful - especially as Real then went on to win the Champions League outright - and Pep would have to wait nearly ten years to get his hands on the Champions League trophy once more.
Ruben Amorim
SPORTING CP 1-5 Ajax, 15th September 2021
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim joins Manchester United after winning his final Champions League game in charge of Sporting CP 4-1 against Manchester City, but the Portuguese manager has not always had good fortune in the competition, shown by his side's 5-1 home reverse at the hands of Dutch giants Ajax in 2021. Sebastian Haller scored four goals for the visitors on the night as Ajax dominated from start to finish. The Sporting side included players such as Joao Palhinha, Matheus Nunes and Pedro Porro, but they were no match for Erik ten Hag's Ajax side on the night. Despite this heavy defeat, both sides made it through the group, although both were beaten in the first knockout round by Benfica and Manchester City respectively.
Eddie Howe
AFC BOURNEMOUTH 0-3 Watford, 12th January 2020
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe had a hugely fruitful period in charge of Bournemouth, but this 3-0 home defeat by Watford was a tough one for Howe to swallow, as the Hornets were a direct rival in the Cherries' fight for survival in the 2019/20 season. Bournemouth were firmly second-best on the day, only mustering one shot on target as they slipped to a third straight defeat that left the club staring relegation in the face. Incidentally, both sides were relegated come the end of the season, as Aston Villa's remarkable escape saw both clubs slip out of the top-flight, and Howe left Bournemouth in the summer after eight years in his second stint as manager, before taking the Newcastle job a year later.
Nuno Espirito Santo
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0-3 Manchester United, 30th October 2021
Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espirito Santo's short-lived spell as Tottenham manager ended after a dismal 3-0 home loss to Manchester United in October 2021, the club's fifth defeat in seven games. Nuno's men were outclassed by an United side that had themselves been on the wrong end of a heavy defeat just days earlier, having lost 5-0 to Liverpool at Old Trafford, but there was no sign of any hangover from that result, as the Spurs faithful turned on the manager, and he was sacked just two days after this game, to be swiftly replaced by Antonio Conte. The sacking came just two months after Nuno won Premier League Manager of the Month, as the club's fortunes dwindled rapidly.
Russell Martin
Leicester City 5-0 SOUTHAMPTON, 23rd April 2024
Southampton manager Russell Martin
Russell Martin's Southampton side secured promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt in the 2023/24 season, but the success was not without its bumps on the road, not least the 5-0 defeat to promotion rivals Leicester City that effectively cost the Saints a shot at automatic promotion. Southampton were only one goal down at half-time, but a dismal nineteen-minute period in the second-half saw Leicester score four goals and put the game far out of reach for Martin's men, leaving them on the brink of promotion, and condemning Southampton to the play-offs. Thankfully for the Southampton manager, the club beat Leeds 1-0 in the play-off final to secure promotion regardless of this dismal defeat at the King Power, saving the manager's blushes.
Ange Postecoglou
Rangers 3-0 CELTIC, 13th May 2023
Ange Postecoglou on the touchline
Ange Postecoglou's spell as Celtic manager saw him pick up plenty of silverware, and often have the bragging rights in the famous Old Firm derby, but it was his final Glasgow derby that was the worst of his career, with his Celtic side being comfortably beaten 3-0 by Rangers at Ibrox. The Bhoys were already champions of Scotland having secured the title in the previous game, but this performance against their fierce rivals was embarrassing for Postecoglou and his Celtic players alike. The hosts had been winless in six league games before this win, making the result as surprising as it was embarrassing for the Hoops fans.
Julen Lopetegui
Barcelona 5-1 REAL MADRID, 28th October 2018
West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui watching on
Julen Lopetegui's short stint as Real Madrid manager was disastrous for a number of reasons - but his only experience of El Clasico as Real Madrid manager was nothing short of catastrophic, as his side fell to a hefty 5-1 defeat at the Nou Camp. The Spaniard's job was already under severe threat following a poor run of form that had seen his side fail to win in four games coming into the famous derby, but such a humiliating result made his job untenable, and he was sacked the next day, with the club way down the league table in 9th. He was in charge for just fourteen league games, and his win percentage of just 42% makes him one of the worst managers in Real Madrid's storied history.
Gary O'Neil
AFC BOURNEMOUTH 0-4 West Ham, 23rd April 2023
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil watching on from the touchline
Bournemouth came into this game against West Ham in decent form, so it was a surprising result when a struggling Hammers side triumphed 4-0 at the Vitality Stadium, in Gary O'Neil's heaviest defeat as Cherries manager. The visitors were dominant from start to finish and found themselves 3-0 up at the break, before extending their lead in the second half. Both teams had been close to being dragged into the relegation scrap, with West Ham starting the day below their hosts in the table. O'Neil would help the club to stay up in their first season back in the top flight by winning five of their last seven league games, but he was still sacked at the end of the season, with the club having the worst defensive record of any team in the league.