Shut out kings Celtic on brink of a century-old defensive record

Celtic are one clean sheet away from recording their best start to a Premiership campaign in almost a century. The reigning champions haven’t conceded a goal in their opening four league fixtures of the season – a feat they previously achieved back in 2010.

However, Brendan Rodgers’ side can create more history if they can get through 90 minutes at home to Hearts on Saturday without goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel picking the ball out of his net – making it five shutouts on the bounce - which would be their most successful opening stretch since 1906.

Back then the Parkhead club went SIX league games without their opponents finding their net. That run was eventually broken when they conceded in a 2-1 win over Aberdeen. In order to emulate that record, the Hoops would have to prevent their struggling Gorgie rivals from scoring and then come through games against St Johnstone and Ross County unscathed.

Now bookies at SportcasingUK are predicting odds of 11/10 on Rodgers men doing just that, while you can get 8/11 on them, equalling the six-match streak. And punters who fancy them to go a full round of eleven fixtures without conceding against any of their top-flight opponents can back the Hoops at 4/1.

Former Celtic and West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has been impressed by the way his cold club have gone about their business on the pitch so far this season and reckons it will be the players “motivation” to etch their name into the club’s history books.

He commented: “Brendan has definitely stabled the ship at the back, and whatever he worked on with the boys over the summer appears to be paying off. The whole team is playing confidently, which will help the lads at the back. The more games you play without conceding, the more that confidence grows. 

“They are on quite a run at the moment, and it’s not inconceivable that they could get through the next two or three games without losing a goal. It will be quite a motivation to go down in the history books, so they will be fired up for this. It’s important to take one game at a time, but I’m sure the longer they go keeping clean sheets, the more they will be aware of what they are achieving.”