Burnley: The stats behind the Clarets' 1,000 minutes without conceding
2025-02-15
Category: sports

In keeping a 24th Championship clean sheet of the season against Preston on Saturday, Burnley clocked up 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal.The Clarets boast the most miserly defence in English professional football this season, have already set records with more than a quarter of the campaign remaining and are poised to make more tumble.BBC Sport looks at some of the stats behind their success.
Thou shalt not pass - the road to 1,000 minutes
Burnley have now kept 11 league clean sheets in a row in the ChampionshipWatford's Kwadwo Baah scored the last league goal against the Clarets in the 80th minute of their meeting at Turf Moor on 21 December 2024 - 56 days ago (Burnley won the game 2-1)The Clarets are the first team in second-tier history to go 11 consecutive league games without concedingBurnley keeper James Trafford has only faced 21 shots on target in achieving his 11 successive clean sheets - including saving two penalties from Sunderland's Wilson IsidorNo team has had more than three shots on target against them in any of those gamesSix of Burnley's fixtures have finished goalless during the run.
A season of solidity
Burnley's frugalness is not a new phenomenon - but has been a feature of their football all season.Scott Parker's side have conceded nine goals in 33 Championship games, and no team has scored more than a single goal against them during that runBurnley have only lost two league games all season, both away from home and both by 1-0 margins. The last loss was against Millwall on 4 November, with Sunderland the only other side to take maximum points against themWith 13 league games to play, Burnley are only one clean sheet short of matching the Championship record of 25 in a season, set by QPR in the 2010-11 campaignBurnley have kept nine clean sheets in their past 10 away league games (W6 D4), including each of their last six; since the rebrand in 2004-05, only Bournemouth in October 2021 (seven) and Stoke in December 2020 (six) have enjoyed a longer run of successive away clean sheets in the ChampionshipWolves are the only team to score twice against the Clarets all season - Goncalo Guedes scoring both goals in a 2-0 win for the Premier League side in the Carabao Cup back in August.
The records that could still fall
Burnley are currently third in the table, four points behind leaders Leeds United, who host Sunderland in their game in hand on Monday, and three adrift of second-placed Sheffield United.They look certain to claim at least a play-off place and are on course to smash more records regardless of whether they win promotion or not.They include:Fewest goals conceded in the Championship (30 - currently held by Watford in 2020-21 and Preston in 2005-06). Burnley are on nineFewest goals conceded in any league season in England (15 - currently held by Chelsea when they won the Premier League in 2004-05)Most clean sheets in an EFL season (27 - currently held by Wigan Athletic in League One in 2017-18). Burnley are on 24Most clean sheets in a row in English football history (14 - currently held by Manchester United and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in 2008-09, who played almost 22 hours without conceding a goal). Burnley are on 11Most clean sheets by a single keeper in a Championship season (24 - currently held by John Ruddy for Wolves in 2017-18 and Paddy Kenny for QPR in 2010-11) James Trafford has 23