Premier League sack race: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler installed as heavy favourite after huge development
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been installed as the favourite to become the next manager to lose his job in the Premier League.
The German saw his odds to become the division’s next managerial casualty slashed dramatically on Thursday, with one major bookmaker even pricing him at odds as low as 11/4 at the moment.
Hurzeler’s side conceded late to lose 1-0 away at Aston Villa on Wednesday night, a result which has left Brighton with just one win from their last 13 Premier League games.
Sean Dyche’s dismissal at Nottingham Forest has catapulted the 32-year-old into pole position to become the next departure in the dugout, with fans growing increasingly frustrated with his decisions of late.
Which managers could beat Fabian Hurzeler to become next sacking?
Hurzeler’s position at the helm at the Amex Stadium looks increasingly bleak after another poor result in midweek, but he is far from the only top-flight manager who is facing significant pressure at the moment.
Dyche and Thomas Frank have both lost their jobs in recent days, and there could soon be another chief who follows in their footsteps over the next few games.
Hurzeler is currently the prime candidate to suffer that fate, but the likes of Oliver Glasner and Arne Slot are also seen as serious contenders to be axed in the near future.
Glasner is priced at just 4/1 to be shown the door prematurely by the Crystal Palace hierarchy after they squandered a two-goal lead to lose to Burnley on Wednesday, while Slot’s position remains uncertain despite victory at Sunderland.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and Fulham’s Marco Silva are also being viewed as outside candidates, but it is Hurzeler who is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons at the moment.
Brighton’s next five fixtures amid Hurzeler pressure
Brighton’s awful run of form could yet see them dragged deep into the relegation battle, as they now sit just seven points clear of 18th place.
West Ham have been resurgent of late under Nuno Espirito Santo, and that has created fresh fear for the teams occupying the places just above the drop zone.
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away |
| 14 February | Liverpool (FA Cup) | A |
| 21 February | Brentford | A |
| 1 March | Nottingham Forest | H |
| 4 March | Arsenal | H |
| 14 March | Sunderland | A |
Hurzeler is set to get a welcome respite from his team’s dismal league fortunes with an FA Cup clash against Liverpool this weekend, but that is followed by a league schedule that makes for grim reading.
The Seagulls have clashes with high-flyers Arsenal, Brentford and Sunderland inside their next five outings, while the home fixture against Nottingham Forest on 1 March will be particularly critical to their survival fight.
Hurzeler surely needs to turn his side’s form around quickly if he is to avoid being shown the door by Tony Bloom, and as a result, these are certainly not the games that he would be hoping to see on the horizon.