Most wins by managers after 50 Premier League games

Erik ten Hag celebrated his 50th Premier League game in charge of Manchester United at the weekend, with the Dutchman’s side earning a 1-0 win over Luton Town at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag has come under pressure during a disappointing start to the new campaign, but the victory over the Hatters was his 30th from his first half-century of Premier League games.

Just a select few managers can better that record when arriving into England’s top-flight, perhaps a sign that patience should be found when assessing Ten Hag’s tenure to date.

Here are the managers with the most wins after 50 games in the Premier League.

Most wins by managers after 50 Premier League games:

5. Alex Ferguson, Kevin Keegan, David O’Leary, Erik ten Hag – 30

Erik ten Hag’s 30 wins from his first 50 Premier League games is enough to rank the under-fire Dutchman fifth on the all-time list, alongside a certain former Manchester United manager.

Erik ten Hag has the highest win % of any manager in Man Utd’s history 👹👔📈 pic.twitter.com/ls4DHTNBNY

— LiveScore (@livescore) November 13, 2023

Alex Ferguson is regarded as the greatest manager in English football history after guiding Manchester United to domestic dominance across the first two decades of the Premier League, a period which saw the Red Devils win 13 league titles between 1993 and 2013.

Ferguson had five full seasons of development before forming his first title-winning team, one which ended a 26-year wait for top-flight success in the inaugural Premier League campaign.

Kevin Keegan also recorded 30 wins from his first 50 Premier League games at Newcastle in the early nineties, as did David O’Leary after replacing George Graham at Leeds United in his first managerial role.

4. Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini – 34

Pep Guardiola might be viewed as the best manager in world football right now, but even the serial-winning Spaniard took time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.

Guardiola’s first season saw Manchester City finish third in the table, before going on to win five of the next six titles in a period of Premier League dominance. Guardiola won 34 of his first 50 games in the Premier League, a record he shares with another ex-City coach in Manuel Pellegrini.

Pellegrini, however, went one better than Guardiola in his debut campaign after leading the Citizens to the Premier League title in 2013/14.

3. Carlo Ancelotti – 36

Chelsea’s carousel of big-name managers stopped at Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the 2009/10 season, with the two-time Champions League winner brought in to aid the club’s pursuit of a maiden European title.

Ancelotti made an instant impact during a record-breaking first season at Stamford Bridge, one which saw Chelsea win a Premier League and FA Cup double.

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The Blues became the first top-flight team to score a century of league goals in a campaign since 1963, while breaking a number of then-Premier League records including for the most goals scored in a season (103) and best goal difference in a season (+71).

Ancelotti surprisingly departed at the end of the following campaign, after a runners-up finish to Manchester United.

2. Antonio Conte – 38

Antonio Conte is another Chelsea manager who hit the ground running in west London, leading the Blues to the Premier League title during his first season in charge.

Conte’s mid-season tactical tweak to a 3-4-3 formation sparked an upturn in form that would lead to the championship, as Chelsea won a then-record 13 consecutive Premier League games to take control of the title race.

Chelsea ended that 2016/17 campaign with a then-record 30 wins in a Premier League season and with the second-highest points total in a campaign at that time (93). Like Ancelotti, Conte spent just two seasons at Stamford Bridge after a second season that fell short of expectations.

1. Jose Mourinho – 39

Jose Mourinho holds the record for the most Premier League wins after 50 games in the division.

Mourinho was named as Chelsea manager in 2004, shortly after leading an unfancied Porto team to Champions League success. After introducing himself as the ‘Special One’, Mourinho delivered on that statement with back-to-back Premier League titles.

The first of those ended Chelsea’s 50-year wait to be crowned champions and was achieved with a record low of just 15 goals conceded, before the Blues opened the following campaign with nine straight wins in the best ever start to a Premier League title defence.

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No manager can better Mourinho’s start in the Premier League, as the Portuguese tactician won 78% of his first 50 games in England.

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