Arsene Wenger took his leave of Arsenal at the end of a record Premier League season for managerial departures.

There were 10 changes in the 20 clubs’ hotseats during the campaign and with the end of Wenger’s 22-year reign announced in mid-April before he saw out the season, the total stands at 11 – equalling 2015-16’s Premier League record.

Premier League managerial changes this season
(PA Graphic)

The latter campaign saw eight in-season changes, including two at Aston Villa who dispensed with both Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde, before three pre-announced departures at the end of the season in the same manner as Wenger.

Guus Hiddink was only on an interim contract at Chelsea, Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City exit to make way for Pep Guardiola was revealed in February of that season and Watford’s Quique Sanchez Flores announced before the final game that he would not be signing a new contract.

League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme on Sunday: “Loyalty to managers is still the best recipe for success.

LMA chief executive Richard Bevan
Richard Bevan made the case for loyalty over the weekend (Adam Davy/EMPICS)

“We have lost 50 managers, 11 in the Premier League. But if you look at clubs which are actually sticking with their managers for a two-year term, we have success.

“The likes of John Coleman doing a great job at Accrington Stanley, Neil Harris at Millwall, Sean Dyche (Burnley), Chris Hughton (Brighton), there are many examples.”

It follows a season, though, in which Crystal Palace fired the starting gun early by sacking Frank de Boer just four games into the season and his reign.

Frank de Boer
Frank de Boer left Crystal Palace without a point or a goal to show for his efforts (Martin Rickett/PA)

Craig Shakespeare and Ronald Koeman left Leicester and Everton respectively in October and West Ham moved on from Slaven Bilic before West Brom sacked Tony Pulis in November.

Swansea dismissed Paul Clement before Christmas, January saw Mark Hughes and Marco Silva leave Stoke and Watford respectively, Mauricio Pellegrino left Southampton in March and the following month, Alan Pardew became the second West Brom boss sacked.

Premier League managerial changes: Last 10 seasons
(PA Graphic)

Another pre-planned Hiddink exit at Stamford Bridge after the 2008-09 season lifted that year’s tally into double figures while Rafael Benitez left in similar circumstances after 2012-13.

With Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement from Manchester United that season and David Moyes’ appointment as his successor already known before the end of the campaign, there were again three changes already confirmed to take the season’s total to nine.