Burnley 0-0 Leeds United: Visitors stay top after drab Turf Moor stalemate
Burnley and Leeds United played out a Championship fixture to forget on Monday, with Daniel Farke perhaps the happier of the two coaches.
Leeds United moved two points clear at the Championship summit after playing out a drab goalless draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Monday.
In fact, it took until the 89th minute of the match for the first shot on target, with Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford on hand to tip Daniel James' effort over the crossbar.
Burnley, however, continued their remarkable defensive record, with their latest shuout already their 20th this season, last conceding a goal against Watford back in December.
Zian Flemming's miscued first half header from Jaidon Anthony's cross was as good as it got for the hosts in a match that never really got going in torrential rain.
Burnley failed to attempt a shot on target during the game for the first time since facing Millwall in the Championship in November, and stay third, three points behind Leeds.
Scott Parker's side return to action this Saturday against lowly Portsmouth at Fratton Park, while Burnley welcome Cardiff City to Elland Road on the same day.
Data Debrief: Defences win titles
While the encounter at Turf Moor was far from a classic, both players appeared happy with a point following the full-time whistle, with Parker and Daniel Farke perhaps taking great pride in their team's defensive displays, which could prove pivotal in deciding the title.
Leeds have now kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Championship this term, last going on a longer run in the competition between January and February 2024 (five games). In fact, only Burnley (20) have recorded more shuouts than the Whites this term (17).
Burnley took their run without conceding a goal to more than 10 hours and have let in just nine goals in 29 league games so far this campaign. That is a joint-record in English football history, level with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side in 2004-05 at the same stage.
The strentgh of both defences also played its part in the expected goals (xG) totals, with Leeds narrowly edging the metric by 0.20 xG (0.39 to Burnley's 0.19).