The Premier League has returned after the first international break of the season. For some managers, however, the time off has done little to dispel the pressure mounting on their shoulders. One such boss who isn’t under pressure, though, is Liverpool’s Arne Slot.
Liverpool’s Perfect Run Continues
The Reds managed another late-late show in their fourth game of the season, a trip to newly promoted Burnley. Heading into the clash, online odds providers like Bovada priced the champions as a 1.40 betting favorite to secure all three points at Turf Moor. However, the in-play odds at Bovada pushed Liverpool all the way out to 6.00 as the clock ticked into injury time with the game still goalless. But as they have done in all of their games so far this term, the Merseysiders found a way to win.
Deep into stoppage time, a Jeremie Frimpong cross hit the arm of Clarets midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, and the former Manchester United youngster immediately put his head in his hands. He knew it was a penalty, referee Michael Oliver knew it was a penalty, so much so that VAR wasn’t even required. Reds talisman Mohamed Salah duly stepped up and lashed the ball into the top right-hand corner from the spot with the clock ticking into the 95th minute.
Who's winning #PremierLeague Cup this year?
⚽️ Liverpool +190
⚽️ Arsenal +250
⚽️ Manchester City +325
⚽️ Chelsea +850
⚽️ Manchester United +2200
⚽️ Tottenham Hotspur +4000 pic.twitter.com/fOCBuariSE— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) August 14, 2025
The 1-0 victory sent Liverpool to the top of the league and left them looking imperious in the defence of their title. But elsewhere throughout the league, a number of managers are coming under intense pressure with the fall’s designated ‘Silly Season’ fast approaching. Here are the three under the biggest pressure right now.
Graham Potter
West Ham’s appointment of former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter late last season was supposed to usher in the style of classy possession-based football that the London Stadium faithful have long desired. Instead, however, the Hammers have become impotent, while they continue to ship goals at the wrong end of the pitch as well. Since his appointment, only Manchester United and Spurs have picked up fewer points, while the English boss’s average of one point per game is the lowest in the club’s history.
Despite being just four games into the new campaign, alarm bells are already ringing in East London. The Hammers were thumped 3-0 by newly promoted Sunderland on the opening day of the season, before a 5-1 drubbing at home to Big Smoke rivals Chelsea ramped up the pressure. That was alleviated somewhat with a shock 3-0 victory away at Nottingham Forest, but another resounding London derby defeat, this time a 3-0 home loss to Spurs, has West Ham fans clamoring for Potter’s head.
The 50-year-old is now the favorite to suffer the axe next. And with a certain Jose Mourinho now available following his sacking with Fenerbahce, the Hammers may well pull the trigger sooner rather than later.
Vitor Pereira
Spare a thought for Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Vitor Pereira. Last season, the Portuguese manager impressed as he led Wolves up the Premier League table despite them looking like relegation candidates before his appointment. How did the club thank him? By selling not one, but two of his best players, namely top scorer Matheus Cunha to Manchester United and star fullback Rayan Aït-Nouri to Manchester City.
Wolves have made moves to replace those outgoing stars, with the likes of Fer Lopez, Jhon Arias, and Jørgen Strand Larsen all arriving. However, none of them have yet been able to fill the void of the two departing stars. As well as that, they are yet to get fully familiarized with Pereira’s tactics, and that has seen the Black Country outfit plummet to the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Moineaux outfit has lost all four of their games played so far this season, scoring just two goals in the process. The recent 1-0 defeat at Newcastle was another tough afternoon, and if results don’t improve quickly, then Pereira may well find himself out of a job after less than a year in charge. Such a decision could be detrimental to Wolves, especially considering just how much they improved under the current manager toward the back end of last season. Such is the fickle nature of Premier League management.
Ruben Amorim
How long will Manchester United keep faith with Ruben Amorim? The revolving door of managers since the retirement of the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2013 has seen English football’s most successful club fade into mediocrity. The likes of Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, and Erik ten Hag have all tried to revive the ailing giant, but none of them has struggled quite like Amorim.
The former Sporting CP manager arrived at Old Trafford to rave reviews after his success in Lisbon. In Manchester, though, things could hardly have gone worse. Last season was arguably the worst in the club’s history, and this season has gotten off to a miserable start as well.
The defeat to Grimsby Town in the League Cup was the lowest point, but that has since been followed up with a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of rivals Manchester City in the Manchester Derby. With tough tests against Chelsea and Liverpool just around the corner, things could get worse before they get better.