WANDERERS have kept more clean sheets across all domestic competitions since the turn of 2023 than any other club in the land.

Ian Evatt’s side kept their 19th clean sheet in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, shutting out League Two Salford City to earn their first win of the group stage.

Wanderers kept a total of 28 last season, breaking a record that had stood since 1972/73 when Jimmy Armfield led the side to the old Third Division title.

That defensive form has spilled into the current campaign too, with clean sheets also recorded against Lincoln, Barrow and Cheltenham in league and cup.

According to playmakerstats.com, that puts Wanderers ahead of any other club in the Premier League and EFL – with Ipswich Town second on 18, Lincoln City third on 17, Manchester United fourth on 16 and Burnley and Gillingham tied for fifth on 15.

“We want to be good in every phase of the game, whether that is attacking and scoring goals, defending and keeping clean sheets, or being good in transition,” said Evatt.

“We have worked very hard to improve every aspect of our game but we know that if you can keep that clean sheet you only need a goal to win three points, and we feel we have enough attacking threats to get that goal more often than not.

“We still have improvement in us even though it has been a decent start and we will strive to get better in every department but I have been pleased with what we have seen so far especially when you consider we lost Jonno (George Johnston) early in pre-season, we have had Eoin Toal coming back from an injury, other little niggles here and there, it has been a good effort.”

Evatt has taken charge of 174 games at Bolton and kept 64 clean sheets during that time.

He has manged 86 wins, 38 draws and 50 defeats in that time, his team scoring 268 goals and conceding 180.