Ranking the greatest managers of the Premier League era is never going to be straightforward.

Trophies are an obvious place to start. Only a select group of managers have won the Premier League more than once. At the same time, longevity, consistency, tactical influence, and the circumstances of each title triumph must also be taken into account.

So, with 13 different managers having lifted the trophy, here is a ranking of the top 10 according to BBC Sport

10. Carlo Ancelotti

Premier League title: 2009-10

Carlo Ancelotti wasted little time making his mark in England.

The Italian guided Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues also scoring a remarkable 103 goals.

His reign ultimately lasted only two seasons. Chelsea finished runners-up in 2010-11 and Ancelotti was dismissed at the end of the campaign.

A later spell at Everton produced two mid-table finishes before Real Madrid came calling, but his overall managerial résumé, including domestic titles in Italy, England, France, Germany and Spain, makes him an obvious candidate.

9. Mikel Arteta

Premier League title: 2025-26

Arteta’s place on this list is based not only on his first Premier League title, but on the transformation he oversaw at Arsenal.

The Spaniard inherited a club that had drifted away from the title picture and gradually turned the Gunners into serious contenders.

After several seasons of near misses, Arsenal finally went all the way in 2025-26, ending an eight-year run of Manchester City or Liverpool winning the Premier League.

Arteta still has plenty of work to do to climb this list, but his story is far from finished.

8. Roberto Mancini

Premier League title: 2011-12

Few Premier League titles have been won in more dramatic circumstances.

Manchester City appeared destined to miss out on the trophy before two stoppage-time goals against QPR, including Sergio Aguero’s unforgettable winner, turned the title race upside down.

Mancini had already delivered City’s first major trophy of the new era by winning the FA Cup in 2011. The Premier League followed a year later.

His time in England was relatively short, but the Italian laid the foundations for City’s transformation into a dominant force.

7. Kenny Dalglish

Premier League title: 1994-95

Dalglish had already established himself as one of English football’s greatest managers before the Premier League began.

After winning multiple titles with Liverpool, he took charge of Blackburn Rovers and guided them into the newly formed Premier League.

Backed by Jack Walker, Blackburn assembled a formidable squad and eventually edged Manchester United to the 1994-95 title.

Dalglish therefore became only the fourth manager to win the English top flight with two different clubs.

6. Claudio Ranieri

Premier League title: 2015-16

If one managerial achievement defines the Premier League, it is surely Leicester City’s title triumph.

Ranieri’s Foxes were given virtually no chance before the season began, yet they went on to win the championship ahead of the financial giants of English football.

The 5,000-1 outsiders became champions, with Ranieri transforming a collection of players into an extraordinarily disciplined and effective team.

His earlier work at Chelsea also deserves recognition, but the Leicester miracle alone earns him a place among the Premier League’s managerial elite.

5. Jürgen Klopp

Premier League title: 2019-20

Klopp transformed Liverpool from European contenders into one of the most formidable teams in world football.

The German took the Reds to three seasons of more than 90 points, finally winning the Premier League in 2019-20 with 99 points.

That triumph ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait for an English top-flight title and delivered their first Premier League crown.

Klopp’s biggest problem was simply the era in which he operated: Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City repeatedly pushed Liverpool to extraordinary levels.

4. José Mourinho

Premier League titles: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2014-15

Mourinho arrived at Chelsea as the self-proclaimed “Special One” after winning the Champions League with Porto.

He immediately backed up the confidence.

Chelsea won the 2004-05 title by 12 points, conceding just 15 goals in the process. They retained the championship the following season before Mourinho eventually departed.

He returned in 2013 and delivered another title in 2014-15.

Three Premier League championships, across two spells, make Mourinho one of the defining managers of the competition’s history.

3. Arsène Wenger

Premier League titles: 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04

Wenger changed Arsenal, and helped change English football.

When he arrived from Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996, there were doubts about the relatively unknown Frenchman. Those doubts disappeared quickly.

Wenger won three Premier League titles, with the 2003-04 campaign standing above them all.

Arsenal went an entire league season unbeaten, earning the nickname “The Invincibles” and creating one of the greatest teams in Premier League history.

His longevity, tactical influence and impact on the English game make him an automatic member of the top three.

2. Pep Guardiola

Premier League titles: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24

Guardiola has arguably had the greatest peak of any Premier League manager apart from Ferguson.

Six titles in a decade is extraordinary, but the manner of those victories is just as impressive.

Manchester City became the first English men’s side to win four consecutive league titles, while Guardiola’s teams have repeatedly redefined expectations for possession, pressing, positional play and attacking football.

His 2017-18 side became the first Premier League team to reach 100 points, and City eventually added the Champions League and treble to their growing collection of honours.

Guardiola’s influence extends well beyond his trophy cabinet.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson

Premier League titles: 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13

There can only really be one.

Sir Alex Ferguson dominated the first two decades of the Premier League and won an extraordinary 13 championships with Manchester United.

The achievement becomes even more remarkable when considering how many times he rebuilt his squad.

From Eric Cantona and the Class of ’92 to the treble-winning side of 1999 and later teams built around Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, Ferguson continually found ways to keep United at the top.

He won titles across different eras, under different tactical trends and against increasingly strong competition.

His record haul remains unmatched.

For longevity, sustained excellence, adaptability and sheer volume of success, Ferguson is the clear No. 1 Premier League manager.

The unlucky omissions

The competition for the final places is fierce.

Antonio Conte won the Premier League in his first season at Chelsea and deserves serious consideration, while Manuel Pellegrini delivered a title and two League Cups during his time at Manchester City.

Mauricio Pochettino is another fascinating omission. He never won the Premier League, but his work at Southampton and Tottenham, particularly taking Spurs to second in 2016-17, makes him one of the outstanding managers of the era.

And that is what makes ranking Premier League managers so difficult: trophies tell only part of the story.

For now, though, Ferguson remains the benchmark, with Guardiola, Wenger and Mourinho forming the next tier of an extraordinary managerial era.