Premier League - Manager of the season contenders.

Last week the official Premier League Manager of the season nominees were announced, based on their performances this season you could certainly make a case for any of the following managers to take the award:

Marco Silva – Fulham

Newly promoted Fulham have loved life back in the Premier League and they have shown themselves to be a very good team. He has seemed to get the best out of Mitrovic this season with the Serbian netting double figures in the Premier League for the first time. He has also given players like Willian and Joao Palhinha the freedom to show their qualities with the pair giving consistent performances week in, week out.

The cottagers are comfortably up for a top-half finish, and recently secured 15 wins in the top-flight for the very first time. They could have been on for a Wembley semi-final if it hadn’t been for the meltdown at Old Trafford which would have taken their season up a level.

Silva had shown himself to be a promising manager in the early stages of his past jobs at Watford and Everton, before ultimately tailing off but this season he has proven himself to be a decent manager, and it will be interesting to see whether he can maintain the consistency next season.

Unai Emery – Aston Villa

One of only two managers in the list who came in while the season was ongoing, but it is deservedly so. When Villa had that nightmare at Craven Cottage with led to Steven Gerrard being axed it was difficult to see where Villa was going, as they were 17th hovering above the drop zone.

In came Unai Emery and his impact has been miraculous, from the very first game to now. The emphatic win against Manchester United in November seemed to be the catalyst for Villa. They find themselves now comfortably in the top half of the table, even at stages taking them into the top 6.

He has also got the best out of his star striker Ollie Watkins, as his tally is at a respectable 14 for the season. By adding his own Spanish way also with fast and penetrative football which has proved difficult for many to handle. It looks like an improbably top 8 finish for thee Villains this season, they could still finish in the top 6 but many variables must go their way for that.

Nevertheless, the impact that Emery has made on the Villa team has been astronomical since he came in and could still end even better then expected.

Eddie Howe – Newcastle United

Newcastle United are one of those clubs where everything just seems to be happy, which had not been the case for many years. Coming into the season they added well with the notable signings of Sven Botman, Nick Pope, and Alexander Isak.

Howe was coming into his first full season at the club, but he has excelled in every single department. The Magpies have proven themselves to already be a force in this league, with consistent performances all season by their star men. They have secured their place in the top four, an incredible turnaround from the position Eddie Howe found his team in back in early 2022.

They have proven themselves to be very hard to handle particularly at St James’ Park as they have turned that into a fortress again. When they are song and clicking very few have been able to deal with the dynamism of the team while also being defensively sound conceding the joint least all season, with Manchester City.

A Champions League spot in your first full season at Newcastle is very good going. To go with that they reached a cup final but were ultimately outdone by Manchester United which would have just topped off the season, but I don’t think you will find too many fans upset with the season.

Many sneered at the appointment of Eddie Howe, but he has done some job to make the supporters believe there is much more to come.

Roberto De Zerbi – Brighton and Hove Albion

A truly unforgettable season for the Seagulls as they look to still top it off with a European spot, De Zerbi came in early in the season as a replacement of Graham Potter and has just made them even better.

Brighton are one of the teams no one enjoys playing against this season with their fast approach, bringing the best out of players like Kairo Mitoma and Moises Caicedo they have proven to be among the best in their position in this league. They have lost key players too before and during the season, with the likes of Leandro Trossard and Yves Bissouma departing but they have replaced impeccably.

Gems like Enciso and Evan Ferguson have also shown themselves to have great futures ahead, and more. Whereas Pascal Gross, Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk continue to perform at a high level on a consistent basis. De Zerbi came in and just added so much energy to the club and that looks like it could end with European football coming to the Amex for the very first time.

Roberto De Zerbi has proven himself to be one of the best new managers in the league and Brighton have proven themselves to be one of the well ran teams, the future is certainly bright for the Seagulls.

Mikel Arteta – Arsenal

Maybe a controversial pick in the recent collapse of Arsenal’s title challenge, but the overall season for Arteta’s men has been a successful one. They have a top 4 finish confirmed as they will return to the Champions League for the first time in six years.

The Gunners were top of the league for the longest stretch of any other team but unfortunately for them now, Manchester City seem to be on course to retain their crown. They have had standout performances from their Norwegian genius Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka as their ability and promise really shone all season.

Many would not have had Arsenal in the Champions League spots, but to not only do that but have Arsenal competing for the league is some going for Arteta. They will ultimately be pipped by City, but the fans will have hope that the good times are returning to the Emirates, but their quest to end the League title drought will have to go on for another season at least.

Overall, for Arsenal they will be hurt by the end of the season and can be encouraged by the progress Arteta has made.

Pep Guardiola – Manchester City

It seems as long as there is a manager of the season award to be won, Pep Guardiola will be a contender as he continues to dominate the English game. The Spaniard looks on course to win his fifth title and his third in a row – becoming only the second manager to do so. His dominating style of play continues to be demoralizing for opponents.

Manchester City are potentially on the verge of a treble which only their rivals Manchester United can say they have done. With the Premier League all but wrapped up an FA Cup Final meeting with their closest rivals secured and a Champions League semi-final still to be played, they could achieve true greatness.

They have put together an incredible winning run to blow Arsenal out of the water and inevitably seal their third title in a row and their fifth in the last since he arrived in 2016. seven years of dominance as the Catalan genius continues to transform our game

They have added a goal scoring machine in Erling Haaland who has been exceptional, breaking record after record and is currently sitting on a ridiculous 36 goals in 33 games. Along with many other players who continue to shine when it matters most, while still being solid at the back as they have conceded the joint least this season.

This season could end up being the greatest in City’s history, and it is down to the genius of Pep Guardiola as he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and it is a matter of nerves now to see if he can secure that unique treble.