Aston Villa battle winless Bolton Wanderers at Villa Park
By Josh Tonti
A run of five consecutive league clean sheets has Aston Villa climbing the Championship table. With nine points from their last three matches, Villa can vault into the top-six with a victory over winless Bolton.
Aston Villa is on a tremendous run. Bolton Wanders have two points from ten matches. Villa Park is the venue. Everything on paper is pointing towards another claret and blue victory.
However, this is the EFL Championship, and we do not believe in the hot hand fallacy.
Manager Steve Bruce will likely roll out the same 4-4-2 that hammered Burton Albion 4-0 midweek. From the Birmingham Mail, everyone previously fit is good to go. The long-term absentees will have the international window to continue rehabilitation efforts.
"“I think everybody is okay from Tuesday.Gabby is fit, Lansbury is not quite there.Jedinak and Grealish, they have a big couple of weeks ahead of them.Mile isn’t going to Australia. There’s a bit of a concern for him.We hope he’s in contention for our next away game.Jack is bouncing around the training ground and is out running.Andre Green is still in a brace. He’s still way off.”"
For Bolton, Jem Karacan returns from a one-match ban, but Filipe Morais is suspended. Before the season, many opined there was not a Rotherham United in the Championship this year; a club so dysfunctional on the pitch that it props other clubs up in points and form.
Bolton are surely testing that observation. Through ten matches, they are the lowest scorers on just four and have conceded the most in twenty-one. Villa scored four goals alone on Tuesday.
PROJECTED ASTON VILLA XI (4-4-2): Johnstone; Elmohamady, Chester, Terry (c), Taylor; Snodgrass, Whelan, Hourihane, Adomah, Kodjia, Davis.
SUBSTITUTES: Steer, Samba, Hutton, Onomah, Bjarnason, O’Hare, Hogan.
Poor Scott Hogan can not get a game, but it is ok. His blistering pace from the bench proved a real weapon against Burton. Expect more of the same with Bolton as James Chester and John Terry continue to flourish in center back partnership.
How good has Ahmed Elmohamady been since transitioning to a right fullback role? So far, he is proving everyone wrong after failing miserably at the position one year ago with Hull City.
WHEN: Saturday, September 30, 2017 @10:00AM EST
WHERE: Villa Park, Birmingham
PREDICTION: 3-1 Aston Villa victory. (Kodjia x2, Terry) (Armstrong)
This could get really ugly, but I suspect Bolton come out firing a bit in order to prove something. The Wanderers get a consolation goal, but it’s not enough to get them points.