Celtic’s dominant 5-1 victory over Aberdeen at Paradise nine days ago was slightly soured by conceding a late goal, ending an incredible run of seven consecutive home clean sheets in the Scottish Premiership, with Kasper Schmeichel giving his take on the sloppy goal conceded.

The Hoops had not conceded at Celtic Park since they last faced the Dons in October, but a late strike from Shayden Morris saw that record come to an end.

A Vanity Stat? Schmeichel Gives His Take

Kasper Schmeichel, who has been a revelation since joining the Hoops in the summer on a free transfer, reflected on the moment and gave an honest assessment of the significance of clean sheets in football. The Danish goalkeeper, who has kept 17 shutouts in 29 league matches this season, played down the impact of losing the record, he said: (Stick To Football), “That’s the thing with clean sheets, I think it’s a bit of a vanity stat because we’re 4-0 up at the time, we are pretty comfortable within the game, and then they go and get a goal, and we go straight down and score again.”

A Ruthless Mentality

While Schmeichel dismissed the clean sheet loss as a minor blip, he did highlight the importance of Celtic’s defensive mindset throughout the campaign. He praised the Bhoys’ approach, stating:

“It’s a mentality. And to be fair, we’ve been brilliant at it this season. When we have had games where we have been comfortable, we have been quite ruthless. I think it’s more of a ruthless mentality that you’re saying, like we are not going to be beaten.”

That mentality has been key in Celtic’s strong performances across all competitions, with Brendan Rodgers’ side remaining resolute at the back for much of the season.

History-Making Opportunity Missed

What perhaps annoyed Schmeichel the most was discovering post-match that a clean sheet against Aberdeen would have secured a new club record. Celtic had the chance to become the first team in the club’s history to keep ten consecutive clean sheets at home in the league. Reflecting on that, the former Leicester City keeper said:

“I was annoyed, and also because I didn’t actually know this at the time, but I was told afterwards, that would have been the first time in Celtic’s history that a team had kept 10 clean sheets [in a row]. We’ve only conceded two at home all season, and that was against Aberdeen back in October.”

Looking Ahead

Despite the disappointment of losing the streak, Schmeichel and Celtic’s defence have been nothing short of outstanding this season. With the Hoops still in with a chance of securing a domestic treble, maintaining their defensive strength will be crucial as they push to win the league and Scottish Cup.

The Dane has already proven to be an inspired signing, and with his wealth of experience, he will no doubt play a vital role in the remaining league and cup fixtures. While the clean sheet run may have ended, Schmeichel’s focus remains firmly on helping Celtic achieve their ultimate goals this season—winning the league as early as possible and securing a treble.