Ranking Premier League Bosses' Opening Salvos: Tudor's Derby Nightmare vs Carrick's Tactical Masterclass

Two fresh faces took charge of their new outfits in quick succession this season – though fortune smiled considerably more brightly on Vitor Pereira than it did on Igor Tudor.

Tudor's appointment as interim boss at Spurs handed him an unenviable first assignment: a trip to the Emirates in the north London derby. The Croatian, drafted in for his crisis-management credentials, got a brutal introduction to the scale of his rescue mission.

20) Igor Tudor – Tottenham 1-4 Arsenal

The Lilywhites' new custodian might have glimpsed opportunity in Arsenal's wobbling title credentials. Instead, the hosts delivered a statement of their own – precisely the opposite of what Tudor had in mind. The former Juventus strategist, hired to steady a relegation-battling ship, now understands exactly what lies ahead.

19) Keith Andrews – Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford

Andrews' maiden outing as a head coach proved thoroughly rotten. Brentford found themselves three goals adrift at half-time on opening weekend, with Forest running riot and prompting considerable smugness about relegation predictions. Perhaps we got that one wrong.

18) Rob Edwards – Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace

Few could fault Edwards for defeat when inheriting such a poisoned chalice. Munoz and Pino struck in the second period to lift Palace into the top four, while Wolves remained rooted bottom and winless in a dozen matches. Victory eventually arrived eight games later.

17) David Moyes – Everton 0-1 Aston Villa

Moyes' return brought no honeymoon period. Watkins' strike five days into his reign proved sobering, with Everton languishing in 16th after just one win in twelve. Yet the Scot orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, claiming four victories in the next five and remaining unbeaten across nine subsequent matches.

16) Mikel Arteta – Bournemouth 1-1 Arsenal

"I am not happy we have not won the game but happy overall. In terms of attitude, desire and commitment it was better than I expected," Arteta reflected following his managerial debut. Aubameyang's equaliser cancelled out Gosling's opener in a draw that, in 2026 terms, hardly reads as noteworthy. Henry wasn't convinced either.

15) Marco Silva – Fulham 1-1 Middlesbrough

Silva's Fulham project began modestly. The Cottagers' recruitment represented an undoubted coup following their relegation, yet a stalemate with Warnock's Boro hardly screamed revolution. Wilson's long-range finish provided the only moment of genuine craft.

14) Daniel Farke – Leeds 2-2 Cardiff

Farke's opening Leeds XI featured merely three survivors from their final Premier League fixture. Though a home draw with Cardiff sounds uninspiring, it could have been considerably worse after trailing 2-0 at the interval. Summerville's stoppage-time leveller transformed the narrative.

13) Andoni Iraola – Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham

Following months of handwringing about O'Neil's treatment, Bournemouth had a chance to justify their managerial switch. A West Ham draw offered nothing to silence the doubters, despite Solanke's response to Bowen's opener.

12) Nuno – Everton 1-1 West Ham

Nuno replaced Potter on Saturday and took charge at Everton on Monday. "It's our priority to become closer with our fans and bridge the gap, and to deliver so they appreciate the work of the team," he pledged. The sentiment wouldn't survive long.

11) Pep Guardiola – Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland

A victory, though hardly a statement. Months of warnings that English football wouldn't genuflect before Guardiola proved prescient as City laboured against doomed Sunderland. An 87th-minute McNair own goal and early Aguero penalty secured the points, while Hart's axing sparked considerable controversy.

10) Regis Le Bris – Cardiff 0-2 Sunderland

Le Bris arrived that summer carrying healthy scepticism from the Wearside faithful. An away triumph at Cardiff, courtesy of O'Nien and Clarke, launched four consecutive Championship victories. Only Hume and Mayenda from that starting XI featured in the following season's Premier League opener.

9) Eddie Howe – Newcastle 3-3 Brentford

A chaotic encounter where Newcastle led but required two equalisers despite dominating possession, leaving them bottom come late November. Joelinton's goal hinted at future prosperity, though Howe watched proceedings from quarantine, delegating to an uncomfortable Jason Tindall. His actual dugout debut? A 2-0 Arsenal loss.

8) Arne Slot – Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool

Slot's English football baptism arrived at Portman Road, where anything less than victory would've disappointed. His ruthless half-time withdrawal of Quansah proved vindicated as Jota and Salah sealed a commanding triumph and a humble beginning to the post-Klopp era.

7) Liam Rosenior – Charlton 1-5 Chelsea

Rosenior smartly avoided an immediate west London derby, instead taking charge in an FA Cup third-round romp at Championship-bound Charlton. "It's a good start. It's just the start and we have to stay consistent now in a very, very hectic schedule," he observed before a 3-2 Carabao Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal followed.

6) Scott Parker – Luton 1-4 Burnley

Parker succeeded Kompany at Burnley and travelled to Luton on opening weekend, pitting two freshly-demoted sides against each other. The Clarets won convincingly, setting trajectories that would prove prophetic: Parker guided them back up whilst Luton's descent continued to League One.

5) Oliver Glasner – Crystal Palace 3-0 Burnley

The post-Hodgson uncertainty evaporated as Palace exploded in the second half, netting thrice before an astonished Selhurst Park. Mateta opened his Glasner account whilst a clean sheet arrived after four months without one. Those months between February and May 2024 remain unforgettable.

4) Unai Emery – Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United

"I am so happy… it was a special day today," Emery declared after his opening assignment, where Villa thoroughly outplayed United. The appointment delighted supporters after Gerrard's tenure, and the players responded with a two-goal blitz inside eleven minutes. Even when United clawed one back through fortune, Villa coasted to a comfortable victory.

3) Fabian Hurzeler – Everton 0-3 Brighton

The Premier League's youngest-ever boss made swift mockery of sceptics questioning Brighton's managerial acumen. A £200m investment in reinforcements smoothed Hurzeler's transition perfectly, with five different contributors in a thorough dismantling of respectable opposition.

2) Vitor Pereira – Fenerbahce 0-3 Nottingham Forest

Pereira arrived tasked with keeping Forest up, yet oversaw their biggest-ever European away victory. Forest's players responded magnificently to his call for self-expression following months of conservative football, delivering a perfect introduction for the Portuguese strategist.

1) Michael Carrick – Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City

Carrick's caretaker spell in 2021 has now been succeeded by another interim posting – his car park privileges presumably improving incrementally. United faced an apparently impossible task against the neighbours following Amorim's doomed formation experiment, yet Carrick's maverick solution – deploying talent according to its strengths – produced one of their finest performances in years and that sweetest of derby triumphs.