Mikel Arteta has been named the 2025–26 Premier League Manager of the Season, becoming the first Arsenal coach to win the prize in over two decades.
Arsène Wenger was the last recipient of the accolade at Arsenal during the 2003–04 season, the club’s most recent Premier League triumph before Arteta helped the Gunners end their agonizing 22-year wait for the trophy.
The north Londoners pipped Manchester City to top spot in 2025–26 and dethroned former champions Liverpool, finishing seven points ahead of the former and a staggering 25 points clear of the latter.
Arteta is only the second Spaniard to win the prize, following in the footsteps of former mentor Pep Guardiola, and finished ahead of two compatriots in the running for the 2025–26 award—including Guardiola in his final season at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal won 26 and lost just five of their Premier League matches across the campaign, boasting the meanest defense in the division and second-most prolific offense.
The Nominees Arteta Beat to the 2025–26 Premier League Manager of the Season Award
- Keith Andrews (Brentford)
- Michael Carrick (Manchester United)
- Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
- Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth)
- Régis Le Bris (Sunderland)
Every Premier League Manager of the Season Award Winner
| Season | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 1994–95 | Kenny Dalglish | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1995–96 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 1996–97 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 1997–98 | Arsène Wenger | Arsenal |
| 1998–99 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 1999–00 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2000–01 | George Burley | Ipswich Town |
| 2001–02 | Arsène Wenger | Arsenal |
| 2002–03 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2003–04 | Arsène Wenger | Arsenal |
| 2004–05 | José Mourinho | Chelsea |
| 2005–06 | José Mourinho | Chelsea |
| 2006–07 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2007–08 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2008–09 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2009–10 | Harry Redknapp | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2010–11 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2011–12 | Alan Pardew | Newcastle United |
| 2012–13 | Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| 2013–14 | Tony Pulis | Crystal Palace |
| 2014–15 | José Mourinho | Chelsea |
| 2015–16 | Claudio Ranieri | Leicester City |
| 2016–17 | Antonio Conte | Chelsea |
| 2017–18 | Pep Guardiola | Manchester City |
| 2018–19 | Pep Guardiola | Manchester City |
| 2019–20 | Jürgen Klopp | Liverpool |
| 2020–21 | Pep Guardiola | Manchester City |
| 2021–22 | Jürgen Klopp | Liverpool |
| 2022–23 | Pep Guardiola | Manchester City |
| 2023–24 | Pep Guardiola | Manchester City |
| 2024–25 | Arne Slot | Liverpool |
| 2025–26 | Mikel Arteta | Arsenal |
The Premier League Manager of the Season award wasn’t on offer during the competition’s inaugural season, but has been dished out at the end of every subsequent campaign. Arteta is the 14th different coach to be honored.
Alex Ferguson was the first ever recipient of the prize during the 1993–94 season and proceeded to dominate the voting during several extraordinary, trophy-laden decades as Manchester United manager. Fellow countryman Kenny Dalglish was the second winner after his remarkable Premier League title victory as Blackburn Rovers manager in 1994–95.
Arsène Wenger broke up Ferguson’s monopoly several times during the late 1990s and early 2000s, claiming the prize during each of Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning campaigns under his guidance. He remains the only Frenchman to win the award.
George Burley was an unexpected victor at the turn of the millennium after guiding promoted Ipswich Town to European qualification, with Harry Redknapp, Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis other Brits to have been shock winners on just the one occasion.
José Mourinho won back-to-back awards in the mid-2000s after transforming Chelsea into Premier League behemoths, before Ferguson’s departure from United at the end of the 2012–13 campaign threatened to open the award up to a range of new champions.
Victories for Italians Claudio Ranieri and Antonio Conte, the former for guiding Leicester City to a 5000–1 title triumph, saw that eventuality materialize, but the arrival of Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp meant that all seven awards from 2017–18 to 2023–24 were claimed by the two rivals.
Arne Slot became only Liverpool’s second winner after Klopp following an incredible debut campaign that saw the Reds finish as Premier League champions.
Most Frequent Premier League Manager of the Season Winners
| Manager | Club | Number of Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Ferguson | Manchester United | 11 |
| Pep Guardiola | Manchester City | 5 |
| Arsène Wenger | Arsenal | 3 |
| José Mourinho | Chelsea | 3 |
| Jürgen Klopp | Liverpool | 2 |
Only five managers have won the award multiple times and it’s little surprise to see such a star-studded list of serial champs.
Ferguson’s longevity and astonishing success means he holds the record for most victories with 11, a total unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon—or indeed ever. Exactly a third of all Manager of the Season awards have been handed out to the legendary Scotsman.
That win rate is still lower than Guardiola’s, however, who won the prize in half of his 10 seasons with Man City. Wenger only managed three in 22 years as Arsenal boss, tied with his fierce nemesis Mourinho and one ahead of Klopp.
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