Bolton Wanderers face a crucial Championship fixture against West Ham United on Tuesday night, seeking to halt a worrying slide in form. The club sits 21st in the table with just four points from five matches, having conceded nine goals while scoring only four.
What are the stats for the West Ham clash?
The BBC highlighted several historical trends ahead of the first league meeting between Bolton and West Ham in 15 years. Bolton have won their last seven league games against the Hammers, a run stretching from 2008 to 2011 in the Premier League. West Ham's last league victory at Bolton's ground came in November 1995, and they have lost on each of their eight subsequent visits.
West Ham have drawn both of their away games this season but have never opened a campaign with three consecutive draws on the road. Bolton, meanwhile, have lost two of their last three home league matches at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. The visitors are eighth in the table, presenting a significant challenge for Ian Evatt's side.
What did Millwall's manager say after the 4-0 win?
Millwall boss Alex Neil admitted to the Southwark News that his team selection was heavily influenced by an injury crisis. He stated he would not have started Derek Mazou-Sacko and Romain Esse, or brought on new signing Yanis Issoufou, if he had a full squad available for the match against Bolton. Issoufou had trained with the team for the first time only on Friday after his international clearance came through.
"Derek, for example, probably shouldn't have started. Rom probably shouldn't have started. Yanis certainly should not have to come on," Neil said. He explained that the demands placed on the inexperienced players were a necessity to try and secure points, acknowledging it was "probably not" fair on them. Neil was missing ten players through injury for the fixture, which ended in a comprehensive 4-0 victory for the Lions.
How did the defeat to Millwall unfold?
A match timeline from Bleacher Report detailed a difficult afternoon for Bolton at The Den. The game turned decisively in Millwall's favour with goals from L. Dykes and J. Metcalfe. Bolton's J. Sheehan was also on the scoresheet, but two late strikes from Dykes sealed a 4-0 win for the home side.
The result extended a concerning run for Bolton, who have now lost three of their last five league games. Their recent form reads LLLDW, leaving them seven points behind early leaders Swansea City. Fans can review the full season's results on the club's results page.
What is Bolton's current league position?
Data verified as of September 7th shows Bolton Wanderers in 21st place in the Championship. They have one win, one draw, and three losses from their opening five fixtures, giving them a goal difference of minus five. The team's next match is at home against West Ham United on September 8th.
This fixture offers a chance to improve a poor home record and gain ground in the standings. The squad will need to address defensive issues quickly, having kept just one clean sheet so far this campaign. Manager Ian Evatt's immediate task is to stop the losing streak before the gap to the teams above grows any wider.
