Premier League sack race: Five managers feeling the heat

Just six games into the Premier League season, a host of managers are already feeling the heat.

Whether it be historic heavy drubbings or underwhelming starts to the campaign, trigger-happy club chiefs may be thinking of making a change to arrest their slumps.

We pick out the five top-flight bosses most at risk of the sack.

Paul Heckingbottom

There is only one place to start and that is at Bramall Lane, the scene of Sheffield United's heaviest league defeat yesterday as Newcastle hit them for eight.

Paul Heckingbottom is now unsurprisingly in the firing line, with the 8-0 drubbing leaving them bottom of the Premier League with only one point since promotion and a goal difference of minus 12.

Rumours had already been swirling about the potential return of Chris Wilder to the Steel City and they look set to only intensify in the aftermath of the thrashing.

Mauricio Pochettino

A second successive 1-0 home defeat for Chelsea against Aston Villa has left Mauricio Pochettino with questions to answer already.

The Blues have picked up only five points from their six outings despite a whopping £1billion transfer spend during Todd Boehly's ownership of the club.

While the young Blues squad undoubtedly needs time to settle, the Argentine coach will need a vast improvement in immediate results to ensure he is still there to see the job through.

But with clashes against Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham to come in the next six league games, things could well get worse before they get better.

Sean Dyche

Sean Dyche seemed significantly more at risk of the chop at Everton prior to their impressive first win of the season at Brentford on Saturday evening.

That 3-1 result and encouraging performance was exactly what the Merseyside club needed but they are certainly not out of the woods yet as they look to avoid a disastrous relegation.

Experienced operator Dyche knows how to keep a team up but the resolve of the Toffees' hierarchy will be tested if results turn sour again.

Erik ten Hag

Manchester United got a much-needed 1-0 win at Burnley on Saturday night but that result alone will not be enough to save Erik ten Hag's job.

United have lost three of their first six league games during a poor start to the season fraught with issues off the field as well as plenty of problems on it. 

Ten Hag's impressive maiden campaign at Old Trafford should buy him time but the Red Devils only ever seem to be one defeat away from another crisis.

Gary O'Neil

Despite coming in to replace the first managerial departure of the Premier League season, Wolves boss Gary O'Neil is already one of the favourites to face the axe.

The 40-year-old former Bournemouth boss has won just one of his six games since replacing Julen Lopetegui after a disrupted summer which saw a host of key stars leave the West Midlands.

Some encouraging displays in defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool are cause for optimism but a 1-1 draw at Luton may spark a few more concerns.