The last two winners of the Premier League Manager of the Month award have both been sacked.
October’s recipient Ruben Amorim and November’s winner Enzo Maresca were both dismissed within weeks of collecting the honour.
Now, after being named December’s winner, attention has turned to Unai Emery — and whether the award has become an unwanted omen rather than a reward.
The Uncomfortable Pattern Behind the Manager of the Month Award
It is a sequence that has been hard to ignore.
Ruben Amorim was named Premier League Manager of the Month in October, only to be dismissed by Manchester United shortly afterwards.
November’s winner, Enzo Maresca, followed the same path at Chelsea, losing his job weeks after collecting the award.
Two consecutive winners, two swift sackings — a coincidence that has transformed a monthly honour into a source of unease.
Why Unai Emery Is Now Under the Spotlight
With the pattern established, attention has inevitably shifted to Unai Emery.
The Spaniard has been rewarded for a strong December at Aston Villa, but recent history has ensured the award is now viewed through a far more sceptical lens.
Momentum in the Premier League can turn quickly, and for some supporters, the timing of Emery’s recognition has raised uncomfortable questions.
What the Premier League Sack Race Odds Say
On paper, there is little immediate reason for concern.
Villa’s impressive form has left Emery under minimal pressure, and that is reflected in the Premier League sack race odds, where the Villa boss is considered a rank outsider to be the next manager dismissed.
But football logic has rarely stopped superstition from taking hold.
Recent weeks have shown how quickly circumstances can change in the Premier League, and monthly honours offer no protection when the mood shifts.
That contrast has only added another layer to the growing debate around the Manager of the Month award.
Is the Premier League Manager of the Month Curse Real?
For now, the idea of a Premier League Manager of the Month curse remains unproven.
But with Ruben Amorim and Enzo Maresca both falling shortly after their monthly honours, it is a pattern that is hard to ignore.
Whether coincidence or cautionary tale, it is a storyline Unai Emery and Aston Villa supporters will be hoping does not repeat itself.
