BURNLEY have confounded the statisticians on the road so far this season as they take their unbeaten record to Manchester City today.

No team in Europe’s top five leagues have faced as many shots as the Clarets away from home this season, but despite that they are unbeaten from trips to Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton, claiming two wins and two draws.

Burnley are facing more than 26 shots per game on average on their travels and the Clarets have also had the least possession away from home of any side in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 with just 33.9 per cent.

But Sean Dyche's side have conceded just four times on the road in four games and the Turf boss believes the stats can be misleading with his side often forcing the opposition to try their luck from distance.

“It depends on what kind of shots in what areas of the pitch. Shot counts can be misleading. We had it last week against West Ham,” the Clarets chief said.

“It’s the quality of efforts and where they’re from. The margins are in your favour if people shoot from distance more often than shooting from inside the box.

“We defend well as a unit when we need to and we’ve had to this season, because these are very good sides and very good offensively. You have to use the ball when when you’ve got it and try and be productive when you get chances.”

Burnley top the European stats for clearances per game and they rank highly domestically for blocks made, with James Tarkowski and Ben Mee first and second for the most in the Premier League away from home.

And Dyche believes the impressive rearguard action is helped by an understanding in defence,with the first choice back four of Matt Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee and Stephen Ward playing alongside each for all but nine minutes of the Premier League season so far.

“It’s helpful,” Dyche said of the continuity at the back. “We like to think we work with all the players here and when players have slotted it they’ve done well.

"The cup performances from the back four were good when they changed. It is helpful I think, particularly in units like the back four.

“From forward units you want that individualism and off the cuff in attack, especially around the opposition box, but you want structure and organisation at the back.”