Aston Villa host Bolton Wanderers on Friday night in a clash of two Championship sides at the wrong end of the table.
For Villa, their start to the new campaign has been anything but settled and fans have seen Steve Bruce replaced in the dugout by Dean Smith.
Pressure is also mounting on Bolton manager Phil Parkinson. The Trotters were booed off after losing 1-0 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City last time out and Wanderers are now without a win in their last five Championship outings, scoring just once in that time.
Read on for Aston Villa vs Bolton Wanderers live stream options, team news, predicted XIs, stats and TV channel info.
When is Aston Villa vs Bolton Wanderers?
Competition: The Championship
Venue: Villa Park
Date: Friday, 2 November
Kick-off: 19.45 pm GMT
Match preview
Both sides desperately need a win on Friday night to make sure that their season isn’t written off within the first few months, and to stave off any fears of a relegation battle.
For Villa fans, that reality is all the more frustrating when they were only a game away from playing Premier League football this season having lost the playoff final to Fulham in May.
That, however, is now a distant memory and after losing their last two games, new manager Dean Smith really needs a positive result to keep the fans onside.
The Villains will desperately want Jack Grealish, whose 30 chances created has only led to one assist, to step up to the plate and show his quality, while experienced players such as John McGinn and Alan Hutton just have to give more.
(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
For Bolton, things are equally delicate. Phil Parkinson switched to a back three against Hull in a bid to add more numbers further up the pitch but Wanderers failed to get any fluidity into their play, managing just three shots on target during the entire match.
That result leaves Bolton 19th in the Championship table, two points behind their hosts on Friday, but Parkinson is backing his players and staff to turn it around, calling upon everyone at the club to stick together.
He told the club’s official website: “Like I always said and in my first press conference at this club, that’s what is important is that everybody at Bolton stays together.
“Everybody at the club, who works for them or supports them, needs to stick together because that is the only way.”
Where can I watch live?
Aston Villa vs Bolton Wanders can be viewed by UK residents on Sky Sports Main Event, channel 401 for Sky TV customers and channel 511 for Virgin Media users.
The game is also on the Sky Sports Football channel, which can be accessed via the Sky Sports Mobile TV app.
Can Jack Grealish rediscover his golden touch?
“They need to protect Jack Grealish more. A player of that quality needs protection from referees and they should be brandishing yellow cards.”
Those were the words of Villa manager Dean Smith (via Express and Star) when talking about the treatment Jack Grealish has been receiving this season.
Smith may have a point. Grealish is by far the most fouled player in the Championship so far, but the 23-year-old knows that he is a target for opposition defenders and has to find a way to deal with it.
The England U21 international has only provided one assist from 15 Championship games this season so far and is yet to find the net. If Villa are going to keep themselves out of trouble and find their way up the table, Grealish must become their talisman once again – regardless of any rumours of a move to Tottenham further down the line.
Will Phil Parkinson stick with three at the back?
After their defeat to Hull, Phil Parkinson praised his players’ ability to adapt to a back three and, despite only managing three shots on target during the game, felt his side were “more creative” than they had been in recent games.
(Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
For that reason, it is highly likely that Parkinson will stick with it again for their trip to Villa. The Midlands side may be off form, but they do still possess a great deal of attacking talent and having three central defenders, as well as wing backs coming in to form a back five off the ball, may just provide that defensive solidarity that could bring the Trotters away with a valuable result.
Who will score the goals for Villa and Bolton?
Villa are actually one of the higher scoring teams in the Championship so far. Their main problem is that their 22 league goals have been shared around, leaving them without a defined goalscorer to become their focal point.
Tammy Abraham and Jonathan Kodjia are the Villains’ top scorers on four goals, with a host of other players stuck on two and one. Dean Smith will be working on tightening up their back line, which has conceded 23 goals already this season, but would also really appreciate one of his forwards stepping up and getting right among the goals.
(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
For Bolton, Phil Parkinson would probably bite Dean Smith’s arm off – hypothetically of course – to get some of his attacking players. Josh Magennis has four goals for Bolton so far, Yanic Wildschut is on two and then a cluster of players have just one solitary goal.
This has resulted in the north-west side scoring just 11 goals so far this season, the joint-lowest in the division and maybe the main reason why Parkinson has moved to a two striker system.
Head-to-head
With Aston Villa only ahead 64-60 on wins, this has traditionally been a very close fixture.
That is a theme that still stands today, with Villa winning two, Bolton winning four and the pair sharing a draw from their last seven meetings in all competitions.
The two sides also traded 1-0 home wins in the Championship last season.
Aston Villa wins: 64 Draws: 39 Bolton wins: 60
Team news
Aston Vila will be without Icelandic midfielder Birkir Bjarnason after the 30-year-old sustained a groin injury in their last game against QPR.
Albert Adomah is likely to remain sidelined with a knee problem, while Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has a hamstring injury.
Keinan Davis remains a long-term absentee due to an operation to cure a groin injury.
Sammy Ameobi and Stephen Ireland both returned to Bolton training this week but Friday’s game against Villa could come a little too soon for the pair, although midfielder Jason Lowe is back from a ban.
Predicted Aston Villa XI: Nyland; Hutton, Tuanzebe, Chester, Taylor; Kodija, McGinn, Whelan, Elmohamady; Grealish, Abraham.
Predicted Bolton XI: Alnwick; Wilson, Hobbs, Beevers; Olkowski, Williams, Vela, Dyer, Oztumer; Donaldson, Magennis.
Predictions and betting tips
Aston Villa vs Bolton Tip 1: Under 2.5 goals @ 20/21
As previously mentioned, Bolton are the joint-lowest scorers in the Championship so far, while Aston Villa are suffering from the fact they lack a defined goalscorer.
The two traded 1-0 home wins last season and it would be a real surprise if this was a free-scoring affair.
Tip: Under 2.5 goals @ Evens with BetBull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (01/11/2018, 18:30)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Aston Villa vs Bolton Tip 2: Villa to win to nil @ 5/4
Despite not having a defined goalscorer, Villa do have quite a lot more firepower than Bolton.
The likes of Tammy Abraham and Jonathan Kodija are chipping away at goals, while it is surely just a matter of time before Jack Grealish rediscovers his form.
A 5/4 price for Villa to win and keep a clean sheet seems like a tidy investment.
Tip: Aston Villa to win to nil @ 5/4 with BetBull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (01/11/2018, 18:30)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Aston Villa vs Bolton Tip 3: Tammy Abraham to score last @ 16/5
Tammy Abraham has four goals this season, the joint-most between the two teams. The England international is also responsible for three out of Villa’s last five goals and scored their last winning goal, against Swansea in October.
This will be a tight affair, with the first goal potentially being the last and Abraham could be the deciding factor once again for the Villains.
Tip: Tammy Abraham to be the last goalscorer @ 10/3 with BetBull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (01/11/2018, 18:30)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
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