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Krishan Davis

Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger & the 25 best Premier League managers of the 21st century so far - ranked

OpinionPremier LeagueP. GuardiolaJ. MourinhoJ. KloppM. PochettinoM. ArtetaA. ConteU. EmeryC. AncelottiFEATURESArsenalChelseaManchester CityManchester UnitedTottenhamLiverpoolLeicesterEvertonCrystal PalaceAston VillaBurnleyNewcastleBournemouthBirminghamWiganR. ManciniM. PellegriniC. RanieriR. Benitez

As we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL runs through the best coaches to have graced the division in the last 25 years

To date, the 21st century has been transformative for the Premier League; the most popular division in the world, England's top flight has grown exponentially to become a commercial behemoth - powered by incredibly lucrative TV rights deals, unprecedented investment and big-money transfers that have ensured it is home to some of the best payers in the world.

And the best players need the best managers. Some of the all-time greats have graced the Premier League since the turn of the millennium, from Jose Mourinho, to Carlo Ancelotti, to Pep Guardiola.

So as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL looks back on the greatest tactical minds to have managed in the Premier League since the year 2000. Here they are, ranked...

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Frequently asked questions

Manchester United, with 20 titles to their name, are the most successful side in Premier League history. They haven't won a league title since the end of the 2012-13 campaign, though.

The Premier League in its current format has 20 teams. The first-ever season of in the Premier League era in 1992-93 featured 22 teams, which was then reduced to 20 teams ahead of the 1995-96 season.

Legendary English goalkeeper Peter Shilton holds the record of making the most appearances in the English top-flight (Premier League + First Division), appearing in 848 games for Derby County, Southampton, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City. None of those 848 top-flight appearances came in the Premier League era, though!

Jimmy Greaves, widely regarded as the most prolific English goalscorer ever, leads the all-time goalscoring charts in the English top-flight (Premier League + First Division). Greaves scored an incredible 357 goals in 516 games. Greaves played his final top-flight game in the 1970-71, over two decades before the start of the Premier League era.

Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history. Giggs spent his entire career at the Old Trafford, making 672 appearances and registering 162 assists between 1991 and 2014.

Sir Stanley Matthews is the oldest player to ever feature in the English top-flight, playing a game for Stoke City in 1965 at the age of 50 years and five days.

Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri is the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League. Nwaneri was just 15 days and 181 days old when he made his debut for the Gunners against Brentford in the 2022-23 season.
Stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, Steven Gerrard, Dennis Bergkamp, Didier Drogba and Mohamed Salah have all played in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp, and Arsene Wenger are among the most famous managers to have taken charge of a Premier League club.

Manchester United's Old Trafford is the biggest stadium in the league with a capacity of 74,310.

Enzo Fernandez is the most expensive player in Premier League history. Chelsea signed the Argentine international for £106.8 million from Benfica in January 2023.