The quickest Premier League firings as Arteta feels the heat at Arsenal

The Spaniard has been installed as the most likely to be the first manager to be sacked this term with the Gunners still pointless after their first three games.

Last season saw the north London side finish the season in eighth position in the Premier League while three defeats this campaign has represented Arsenal's worst start to a league season since 1954.

Artea was appointed by the Gunners in December 2019 but has faced an uphill task to lead the team through a period of transition.

And reports have suggested he could even be given the boot should Arsenal fail to kickstart their campaign with a win over newly-promoted Norwich this weekend.

Not only would Arteta become the first manager to be sacked this year, his four game stint would represent one of the fastest dismissals in a single season in Premier League history.

But who would he join? talkSPORT.com takes a look who was sent packing early on in the campaign…

Kenny Dalglish (Newcastle United) - 2 games

'King Kenny' was not treated like royalty by then-Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd, who canned the Scotsman at the start of the 1998/99 season.

Dalglish was handed a three-and-a-half-year contract after taking over Newcastle in January 1997 and secured Champions League football.

But a disappointing 13th place finish in the following season and an FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal had put him under pressure.

And Dalglish was sacked by the Toon just two games into the 1998/99 campaign after draws against both Charlton and Chelsea.

Paul Sturrock (Southampton) - 2 games

The Scot has the unfortunate record of being on this list and for also having one of the shortest overall reigns in Premier League history.

Sturrock was in charge for just 13 top-flight games for the Saints in 2004 and impressively won four of his first six matches.

Yet a damaging defeat to rivals Portsmouth and a five-match winless run to finish the 2003-04 season had put question marks over his tenure.

And Sturrock was given his marching orders two games into the following term - despite a 3-2 win over Blackburn in the second of those matches.

Peter Reid (Manchester City) - 4 games

The former England international's managerial career ended in the worst possible fashion when he took over the dugout at the Sky Blues.

As player-manager at City, Reid recorded a league finish above rivals Manchester United in the 1990/91 season.

Yet the Citizens first taste of Premier League football when it was in its infancy in the 1992/93 campaign was a bitter one.

Reid was sacked before the end of August after City's opening four games left them with a single point, and having scored just one goal.

Javi Gracia (Watford) - 4 games

The Spaniard had a right to feel 'surprised' by the Hornets decision to sack him so quickly into the 2019/20 season.

Gracia had led Watford to an eleventh-placed Premier League finish and an FA Cup final in his only full season in charge.

But he was relieved of his duties after suffering three defeats and gaining just one point in their opening four games to leave them bottom.

Gracia was replaced by Quique Sanchez Flores, who in turn was sacked and succeeded by Nigel Pearson, only for the latter to be canned with two games left before Watford were relegated.

Frank de Boer (Crystal Palace) - 4 games

The Dutchman, or to use Jose Mourinho's name for him - 'the worst manager in the history of the Premier League' - is the most recent entry.

De Boer was sacked by Palace just 77 days into his reign in 2017 after replacing Sam Allardyce who had helped the Eagles beat the drop.

But despite ambitions of stamping his own mark on the south Londoners, his brief tenure oversaw four defeats without scoring a single goal.

Roy Hodgson became his replacement and although he lost his three games in charge, the ex-England gaffer ultimately steered the club to safety.