The English Premier League boasts some of Europe's best players, managers and teams, making it one of the most competitive leagues in the world. In the early years of the competition, a number of clubs dominated the scene before the emergence of the "Big Four" in the 2000s. The mid-to-late-2010s saw the emergence of Manchester City and Liverpool as the best and most consistent sides in England's top flight.
The Premier League has been largely dominated by two teams in the last five years
The era of dominance by both teams was marked by a common factor; they won most of their games. In these winning teams, some players played key roles and contributed immensely to the cause. Making 100 appearances in an extremely difficult league is a huge achievement on its own, but winning most of those matches is undoubtedly more significant.
Without further ado, here is a list of the five players with the most wins in their first 100 appearances in the Premier League.
#5 Trent Alexander-Arnold (77 wins)
Still only 23, Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has established himself as one of the best right-backs in the world. The Englishman has been an extremely important player for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during his time at the club since making his league debut against Middlesbrough in the 2016-17 season.
Alexander-Arnold has managed to rack up 77 wins from his first 100 league appearances for his boyhood club. He played his 100th game in the competition in an October 2020 win over West Ham United at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold is one of the league's most productive defenders. He is currently only behind teammate Andy Robertson (48) and Everton legend Leighton Baines (53) for most assists given by defenders in the English top-flight. The 23-year-old played all 38 matches for Liverpool as they claimed their first-ever Premier League title in 2020.
#4 Gabriel Jesus (77 wins)
Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus signed for Manchester City on the back of impressive performances for Palmeiras. Since joining Manchester City, the striker has made himself an integral member of Pep Guardiola's team.
Jesus joined City for around £29 million in December 2016 and made his debut in January against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-2 draw. The Brazil international has not looked back since, and made his 100th league appearance in a 4-0 win over Watford in July 2020.
In his first full season at the Etihad, the Brazilian was part of a record-breaking Manchester City side that crossed the 100-point mark to be crowned league champions. He has an admirable tally of 88 goals and 44 assists in 226 games across competitions for the club and has won the league title three times already in his City career.
#3 Nemanja Vidic (77 wins)
Manchester United's legendary defender Nemanja Vidic was one of the most fierce defenders in the Premier League in his days at the Red Devils. The defender was a rock at the back for the Red Devils alongside Rio Ferdinand, forming the backbone of the team that won five Premier League titles.
Vidic joined Manchester United from Spartak Moscow in January 2006 for a bargain fee of £9.45 million and remained at the club for eight successful years. He made his Premier League debut shortly after but failed to establish himself immediately. Eventually, he gained Sir Alex Ferguson's trust and built a reputation as a no-nonsense defender for the team.
Vidic won 77 of his first 100 Premier League appearances, losing 11 and drawing 12 times. The Serb left Manchester United in 2014 after making a total of 211 league appearances in eight years before retiring from active football in 2016.
#2 Ederson (79 wins)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola signed Ederson from Benfica in 2017 after he was left unconvinced by then goalkeeper Claudio Bravo's performances at the club. The Brazil international has played a pivotal role in the Cityzens' success in recent years.
Ederson has proven himself to be one of the best and most complete goalkeepers in world football. The Brazilian combines excellent shot-stopping ability with impressive ball-playing ability. Ederson won 79 of his first 100 league appearances for Manchester City.
Ederson won the league's Golden Glove award on two consecutive occasions in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, keeping 16 and 19 clean sheets respectively. He has won the Premier League title three times in the last four seasons. He is jointly leading the charts for most clean sheets this season with 17 along with compatriot Alisson and looks to be on his way to a third consecutive Golden Glove win.
#1 Aymeric Laporte (82 wins)
Aymeric Laporte recently set a new competition record for most wins by a player in his first 100 Premier League games. He achieved this feat after Manchester City defeated Burnley 2-0 in the Premier League last Saturday (2 April). The Spaniard joined the club from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 and has been extremely consistent in displaying strong defensive performances.
When he joined City, Laporte was the club's record signing, having cost £57 million. The defender established himself as a key player for the club, forming a watertight partnership with Ruben Dias and John Stones at the back. Laporte has been capped by Spain 15 times and was a part of their team at Euro 2020.
Laporte is a two-time Premier League champion with Manchester City. He also holds the record for most points collected by a Premier League player (254) in his first 100 games.