Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was the only man to boast a better points-per-game record for the club than Antonio Conte, despite the latter losing his job over the weekend.
Spurs parted ways with Conte on Sunday with the team's top four hopes under threat. The London club remain in the Champions League positions, but Newcastle United in fifth have two games in hand.
Pochettino is among those linked with the job on a permanent basis, along with former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann. When taking a look at the Argentine's record in his first stint in North London, it is easy to see why his appointment would be popular with a number of fans.
Over the course of his 56 Premier League matches as Tottenham manager, Conte averaged 1.88 points per game. Only three managers with 50 or more games since the start of last season could boast a better record over the period: Pep Guardiola (2.37 points per game), Mikel Arteta (2.12) and Jurgen Klopp (2.09).
Pochettino just pips his predecessor, though, with an average of 1.89. Between his summer 2014 appointment and his dismissal midway through the 2019-20 season, the Argentine earned 382 points from 202 Premier League matches.
It might not be lost on Conte that his average only dipped below that of Pochettino thanks to a 3-3 draw with Southampton in his final game. Spurs led 3-1 in that fixture with 15 minutes remaining, and their late collapse prompted the then-boss to hit out at his squad.
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"We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place," Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said in a short statement after Conte's dismissal. "We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our Club and amazing, loyal supporters."
Cristian Stellini will be acting head coach for Spurs for the remainder of the season, the club have confirmed. Ryan Mason, who served as caretaker towards the end of the 2020-21 season, will be Stellini's number two.
Conte's exit comes despite Spurs securing their best ever start to a Premier League season. They earned 23 points from their first 10 games, but have picked up just 26 from the following 18 to leave their Champions League qualification hopes hanging in the balance.
Spurs were also eliminated from Europe by AC Milan, falling to a meek 1-0 aggregate defeat against the Rossoneri despite topping their group to secure a favourable draw in the round of 16. The first game of the post-Conte era will see Spurs travel to struggling Everton, while there are also games against fellow Champions League contenders Man Utd, Liverpool and Newcastle on the horizon in April.
