Stat has got Sheffield Wednesday fans talking – shows what Owls have to do to make Hillsborough a fortress

A remarkable statistic doing the rounds on social media has laid bare exactly what Sheffield Wednesday need to do to turn Hillsborough into a fortress.
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After Saturday’s shutout against Bolton Wanderers and despite relegation from the Championship last season, only one side out of the 92 league clubs has recorded more clean sheets at home than the Owls’ 14 in 27 matches since the start of last season.

The only side to better them is Swansea City, who have kept 15 clean sheets in that time.

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The stat has taken many by surprise considering their struggles in recent times but does highlight both the need for increased attacking output at home and the need to improve their record on the road.

Home scoring woes

Wednesday scored less than a goal every home game last season (22 in 23 matches at 0.96 goals per game), which included a 5-0 win over Cardiff City.

Indeed, five of Wednesday’s 14 clean sheets in that time have resulted in goalless draws.

They have scored at least once in every home game this season, but have scored more than once only four times in the 27 matches since the start of last season – a statistic that doesn’t lend itself to picking up wins consistently.

Only one side in English football has kept more clean sheets at home than Sheffield Wednesday since the start of last season.Only one side in English football has kept more clean sheets at home than Sheffield Wednesday since the start of last season.
Only one side in English football has kept more clean sheets at home than Sheffield Wednesday since the start of last season.
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This season Wednesday have had 52.17 per cent of possession at S6, have scored five goals to opposition’s three and have an xG rating twice as impressive as that of visiting teams; xG 1.2 per game to the opposition’s 0.6.

Away day pain

The stat only serves to remind supporters of the fact that had Wednesday’s away record mirrored that of their form at Hillsborough last season, Wednesday would have accumulated enough points (64) to finish 11th – in the top half of the Championship table.

Away from home they took only four wins and three draws from the road, scoring 18 times and conceding 44 times in their 23 matches. It’s a record they must improve upon drastically across the course of this campaign.

So far this season they have earned eight points from six matches away from home, a marked improvement on their 15 in 23 last time out. They have earned 1.3 points per match, a stat much improved on their 0.65 points per match in the entirety of last season.