The stats behind Preston North End’s unbelievable defensive record

We are now seven games into this Championship season and Preston North End are still yet to concede a goal.

On Wednesday night they managed to break Chelsea’s record set in 2005, of the best defensive start to a season, having kept seven clean sheets in a row. 

Five of their opening seven matches have ended as goalless draws and the other two results have been 1-0 wins. 

This particular start to the season has never been seen before and we’ve dived into the stats to find out how they have done it. 

 

Freddie Woodman 

Last season Preston’s player of the season was goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, who was on loan from Leicester City. 

Iversen regularly dug PNE out of tricky situations with an array of brilliant reflex saves. 

In total, he made 126 saves last season, the second most of any Championship goalkeeper. 

Replacing Iversen was always going to be tough, but Preston seem to have found the perfect fit in Freddie Woodman. 

The goalkeeper signed on a permanent basis from Newcastle this summer and he has had a quite remarkable start to the season. 

Woodman already has one Championship Golden Glove in his locker and he’s on course for another this season. 

He is the only Championship goalkeeper that boasts a 100% save ratio having saved all of the 17 shots he has faced. 

Despite Preston allowing 13.7 shots against them per game, the seventh highest number in the Championship, they do a good job of limiting the opposition to relatively low-quality chances. 

For saves made, Woodman ranks 12th in the Championship, highlighting how his defensive line have protected him well so far. 

 

Preston’s back line 

Huge credit has to be given to the likes of Andrew Hughes, Liam Lindsay, Greg Cunningham and Jordan Storey. 

At times last season Jordan Storey and Liam Lindsay were deemed surplus to requirements, but they have both been brought back into the fold this season. 

Lindsay sits at the base of a back three, which usually sees Hughes on the left-hand side and Storey on the right. 

Impressively, Lindsay has won 42 aerial duels this season which is the second most in the Championship, only behind Darragh Lenihan. 

He also ranks first in the Championship for shots blocked with 13 and second for clearances made with 41. 

Jordan Storey ranks first in the Championship for interceptions made with 19 and he has clearly improved from his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday last season. 

Preston rank in the top two Championship sides when it comes to blocks, clearances, interceptions and tackles. 

Ryan Lowe has managed to tighten up a defence which shipped 56 goals in total last season and turned them into the best defensive unit in the league. 

 

The role of Preston’s wing-backs 

A large contributing factor to Preston’s defensive solidity also comes from how Ryan Lowe utilities his wing backs. 

On the right-hand side, Brad Potts is a more conservative player who stays in shape and offers defensive protection to Jordan Storey. 

Robbie Brady on the other hand is Preston’s most attacking outlet. 

It is no surprise that 42% of Preston’s attacks go down the left-hand side as Brady and Hughes often combine for quick passages of play which get them up the pitch. 

Brady doesn’t shy away from his defensive duties though as he has made 23 tackles in total, the second most of any Championship player.  

Time will tell if Preston can continue their impressive defensive start to the season, but the early signs have been very promising for them. 

Next up for Preston are games against Birmingham, Bristol City and Burnley who will each be looking to breach Preston’s impenetrable defence.