The 7 Biggest Defeats in Premier League History & What Happened to the Manager After

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Leicester City had a rather enjoyable evening on the south coast this Friday as they beat Southampton 9-0 on their own turf. 

Up against a lethargic, ten-man Saints team, the Foxes tore their prey to shreds in a superlative performance at St Mary's that confirmed their status as one of England's finest. Conversely, the hosts endured one of the darkest nights in their 134-year history.

In the space of 90 minutes, Ralph Hasenhuttl went from being one of a few contenders to be the ​Premier League's next managerial casualty to the odds-on favourite. His players were a disgrace but the boss must be held accountable.

It's up in the air currently whether Hasenhuttl will keep his job, but he has the less than coveted 'honour' of being one of a very select few in Premier League history to know what it's like to get gubbed by eight or more goals.

Here's a look at the seven heaviest defeats in the competition since its 1992 inception and what fate befell the losing coaches...


Newcastle United 8-0 Sheffield Wednesday (1999)

When Danny Wilson returned to former club ​Sheffield Wednesday as head coach in the summer of 1998, he had hopes of revitalising the Owls.

He was occasionally able to coax some impressive form out of the players, which explains why he was given a bit of time to right the wrongs of an 8-0 decimation at the hands of ​Newcastle in September 1999.

Wilson used the hammering as a steep learning curve, thereafter guiding Wednesday to 12th place in the table and even collecting the league's Manager of the Month award just four months in January 2000.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop local MPs from making public calls for the boss to be axed that very month, eventually getting their way two months down the line as the team failed to escape relegation.


Chelsea 8-0 Wigan Athletic (2010)

Roberto Martinez is a legendary figure at the DW Stadium after he secured the first major trophy in ​Wigan's history, his side slaying the mighty ​Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final.

It should, then, be glaringly obvious that he kept favour with the Athletic board and fanbase in the wake of an 8-0 annihilation by ​Chelsea. On the last day of the 2009/10 season, the defeat confirmed the Blues ruled England, whilst the Lancastrians had already guaranteed survival.

As perennial underdogs, each campaign spent in the top flight was considered a success for Wigan, and Martinez had proved he could stave off relegation. Amazingly, he kept Athletic up, despite this being their second eight-goal loss of the year... more on that later.


Chelsea 8-0 Aston Villa (2012)

In less than three years, ​Aston Villa were twice handed enormous defeats at the Bridge, losing 7-1 during 2009/10 and 8-0 in 2012/13. The latter came in December 2012, not long after Paul Lambert's appointment as manager, yet his seniors were not jolted into action by the result.

Instead, they instantly gave their backing to the Scotsman, but his team did not have a similarly swift reaction. ​Tottenham rocked up to Villa Park three days after the game in west London and won 4-0. Three more days passed and Martinez's Wigan left Birmingham with a 3-0 victory.

Still, no action was forthcoming from the Villans hierarchy, who remained faithful as they were made to wait until February for another Premier League triumph. 

The Midlands outfit finished 15th that year and the season that followed, keeping Lambert in a job, regardless of heavy criticism from the supporters. Their pleas were at long last answered in early 2015 after defeat to ​Hull City saw Villa drop into the bottom three.


Manchester City 8-0 Watford (2019)

Quique Sanchez Flores had only just rejoined ​Watford when he oversaw an 8-0 trouncing away to City, who must have thought they'd recorded what would be the largest victory of 2019/20. 

Even the trigger-happy Hornets weren't going to sack their manager within just two weeks of him taking over from Javi Gracia at Vicarage Road. Then again, the board may well have looked for yet another new head coach had the side not got back on track with immediate effect.

A tricky League Cup tie versus ​Swansea City was successfully navigated by Flores, with Watford then earning draws against ​Sheffield United and Spurs.


Tottenham Hotspur 9-1 Wigan Athletic (2009)

And we return to the curious case of Roberto Martinez.

Wigan lost each of the five league matches they played in the capital in 2009/10, going down by an aggregate score of 26-4. Remarkably, the boss never appeared to be in danger of getting the sack, such was the respect the club had for him.

Their 9-1 thumping against Tottenham - when Jermain Defoe grabbed five of the goals for himself - was a notable low point in the season, yet once again Martinez (bigger picture considered) emerged unscathed.

Martinez only finally left Wigan in 2013 as he moved to Everton.


Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town (1995)

It may be a surprise to see how many of the aforementioned managers retained their position for a fair period. However, none stayed in the role as long as ​Ipswich gaffer George Burley, the Scot spending seven more years at the Tractor Boys helm.

He'd led his team to a 3-2 win over ​Manchester United in their first meeting of the campaign the previous September - let's just say the return fixture wasn't quite so glorious for the Suffolk side.

Town went down with a whimper in May 1995, ending the year 21 points off of safety. Burley then took them to three consecutive ​Championship playoff finals, with Ipswich eliminated in the semis on each occasion, before finally securing promotion in 2000.


Southampton 0-9 Leicester City (2019)

Unlike several of his colleagues on this list, Hasenhuttl is probably a dead man walking. He knows it. The fans know it. The media know it. 

By the looks of their embarrassing performance on Friday night, his players also know it.


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