Manchester City continue to rack up the victories with the champions-elect moving ever closer to reclaiming the Premier League title this season, winning for the 20th consecutive fixture in all competitions after beating West Ham this weekend.
The win also saw Pep Guardiola secured a landmark moment with his 200th win in all competitions since taking charge at the Etihad, a period which has already delivered five major trophies and promises more silverware before the end of the current campaign.
Following his milestone win we’ve decided to look at how Guardiola compares to the most successful managers in English football history, here are the five managers to reach 200 wins in the fewest games:
5. Bob Paisley – Liverpool (351 games)
Bob Paisley stands as one of the most iconic figures in Liverpool’s history after an incredible 45-year association with the Reds, from player to physiotherapist, coach to assistant, and eventually inheriting the managerial reigns from the legendary Bill Shankly.
Paisley was reportedly reluctant to take charge of the side following Shankly’s departure, his predecessor having laid the foundations for Liverpool to establish themselves as English football’s dominant force with three league titles, two FA Cups and two UEFA Cups.
Paisley, however, would turn a leading side into an even better one to become one of the all-time managerial greats, dominating at home and abroad during an unprecedented period of success for the Merseyside club.
He took just 351 games to reach 200 wins in all competitions, spending nine seasons in charge and winning 20 trophies including six league titles and three European Cups, remaining one of just three managers – alongside Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane – to have lifted club football’s biggest prize on three occasions.
4. Don Revie – Leeds (344 games)
Marcelo Bielsa’s current revolution at Leeds has seen him win the hearts of the Elland Road faithful, though the Argentine tactician has some way to go before he can be compared to Don Revie.
Revie transformed Leeds from a second-tier outfit into one of the most successful sides in England, making major changes throughout the club before overseeing a period of huge success.
After winning promotion he guided Leeds to a runners-up finish on their return to the top flight, and the Whites would not finish lower than fourth across the next decade in England’s top tier.
Revie guided Leeds to 200 wins in all competitions in just 344 games in charge as a top-flight manager, winning two league titles, an FA Cup, League Cup and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups in addition to finishing as runners-up for the league title on a further five occasions.
3. Kenny Dalglish – Liverpool (333 games)
Kenny Dalglish’s status as a legendary figure at Liverpool was already cemented following a brilliant playing career with the club, though he would elevate himself to even greater heights following a successful spell as manager.
Dalglish was appointed player-manager following the resignation of Joe Fagan in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster and made a fine start to life in the duel role, guiding the Reds to a first-ever domestic double during his first season in charge – including scoring the winner to clinch the title at Chelsea on the final day of the season.
‘King’ Kenny took just 333 fixtures to amass 200 wins across all competitions and won three league titles and two FA Cups amongst his honours, before making a shock resignation from his position following the strains of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
Dalglish later returned for a short and less successful second spell following the departure of Roy Hodgson in 2011 and won the League Cup before being dismissed after just 18 months in charge.
See also – 10 of the best quotes about Sir Kenny Dalglish
2. Jose Mourinho – Chelsea (309 games)
Dalglish’s record stood for almost two decades until the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in 2004, announcing himself as the ‘Special One’ during an iconic first press conference at Stamford Bridge before delivering on that bold title.
Mourinho ended a billionaire-backed Chelsea’s 50-year wait for a league title during his debut season, the west London side losing just once and conceding a record Premier League low of just 15 goals throughout the campaign.
That success came alongside the League Cup and was followed by a reclaiming of the Premier League the following season, Mourinho’s Chelsea establishing themselves as England’s dominant force in the mid-2000s.
Mourinho won five major honours during a three-and-a-half-year spell in charge and compiled a win percentage of 67%, later returning to Chelsea for a second spell after successful stints in charge of Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
His 200th win in all competitions came in his 309th game in charge of the Blues, with his second reign at Chelsea securing a third Premier League title before an acrimonious departure in 2015/16.
See also – Teams that should have won the Champions League: Mourinho’s first Chelsea side
1. Pep Guardiola – 273 games (Manchester City)
No coach in the history of English top-flight managers has ever recorded 200 wins in quicker fashion than Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, taking just 273 games to achieve the feat with Saturday’s win over West Ham a landmark triumph.
Guardiola has helped revolutionise his side and English football during four-and-a-half years at the Etihad, winning two league titles with the increasing likelihood of a third following at the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign.
The first of those titles saw City become the first side in history to reach 100 points in a Premier League season, before following that triumph with a 98-point haul and England’s first-ever domestic treble.
Guardiola’s side have played some spellbinding football in recent seasons and the current vintage continue to rack up wins, their win over the Hammers this weekend their 20th consecutive victory in all competitions.
That astonishing run of results is the longest successive sequence by an English side, with Guardiola’s team now just four wins away from breaking Bayern Munich’s record 23-game winning run amongst teams from Europe’s top five major leagues.
(Stats courtesy of Opta)
Read – The longest winning runs by teams from Europe’s big five leagues
See also – Why the media will always seek to diminish a successful Manchester City