Parker’s Clarets keep things tight in campaign for Premier League return
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Clarets have conceded only nine league goals in 26 games in a complete turnaround after last season’s leaky campaign. “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles,” was the old Sir Alex Ferguson adage but Burnley would happily accept automatic promotion. They sit second in the Championship thanks to the excellence of their back four and goalkeeper, who are on their way to break records, but a Premier League return is all Turf Moor wants.
![[Will Unwin]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2024/10/03/Will_Unwin.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Under Scott Parker, the Clarets have conceded nine goals in 26 league matches, collecting 17 clean sheets. Sunderland, one of two teams to have beaten Burnley, arrive on Friday night wondering how to break through the brick wall again. James Trafford has 16 shutouts and is aiming to surpass the Burnley great Jimmy Strong, who kept 19 in a 42-game season in 1946-47. The stingiest defence in Football League history was Port Vale 71 years ago, when they let in 21, and if Burnley maintain this rate of conceding, they will end with 16 in the against column.
![[CJ Egan-Riley (left) tries to fend off Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c9c9c9efb1ca644ce072d64167c5c84c3662b001/36_0_4764_2857/master/4764.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Burnley are yet to concede twice in the league and have secured eight victories by one goal, aided by an incredible team spirit. Often there is a fine margin when a team are reliant on keeping on the opposition out but Burnley are perfecting the balancing act.
What’s the secret? “Hard work and a lot of analysis and information fed to us by the coaching staff and on the training pitch,” says the centre-back Joe Worrall. “It’s something that we pride ourselves on. It’s not just the defence or Traff in goal. It’s the whole team. If you watch clips of our games the amount of times we get 11 men behind the ball so quickly is a credit to the fitness and the structure we based ourselves off. You give the ball away, you sprint back, it’s as simple as that. It’s not rocket science. It’s well-drilled into us by the manager.”.
