Bolton’s tough run of fixtures shows no sign of letting up this weekend as they play host to a rampant Man United. Owen Coyle’s side have suffered back-to-back defeats against Man City and Liverpool and, with the champions arriving on the back of an 8-2 win over Arsenal. The Trotters have conceded three goals in each of those last two games, meaning they must fear the worst ahead of Saturday’s evening’s showdown.
Likely Line-Ups
Bolton have something of a settled line-up just now, with Ivan Klasnic firmly established as Kevin Davies’ strike partner. Klasnic has shown great consistency and joins Wayne Rooney and Edin Dzeko as the only players to score in all three of their opening fixtures. Although new loan signing Tuncay has impressed in Carling Cup action, Klasnic is sure to keep his place in the first XI.
The only real disappointment for Man United in the 8-2 win over Arsenal was the hamstring injury to Danny Welbeck that saw the forward limp off on thirty-six minutes. On the positive side, this allowed Javier Hernandez to continue his recovery from concussion and the Mexican looks odds-on to start alongside Wayne Rooney up front. Darren Fletcher played twice for Scotland over the international break and looks set to challenge Anderson and Tom Cleverley for a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s starting XI.
Key Battles
The home side are really up against it this weekend. United have scored thirteen goals, winning all three games as a series of swashbuckling performances have seen them soar to the top of the table. Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young are in rampant form right now and the pair continued their goalscoring exploits for England in the recent Euro 2012 qualifiers. Coyle’s side will be more than aware of the danger the pair bring and will need to nullify their threat if they are to stand any sort of chance.
Gary Cahill v Wayne Rooney
Rooney has scored 5 goals, made 1 assist and already picked up 2 man of the match awards in his first three games. Cahill has shown decent form, scoring in Bolton’s opening day win at QPR as well as on international duty in England’s 3-0 win over Bulgaria, though the recent transfer rumours linking him with Arsenal and Spurs seem to have affected his domestic displays.
Rooney has been United’s main goal threat, averaging 5.3 shots, though Cahill has been in determined mood at the back, blocking 1.7 shots per game, substantially greater than fellow-centre half Zat Knight (1). The Man United star has also been the most creative player for his side, making 4 key passes per game- again Cahill’s stats are encouraging; he’s made 3 interceptions on average, the best of any Bolton player.
Cahill’s reading of the game has seen him step up to win 1.7 offsides per game, though Rooney’s tendency to drop deep means he’s yet to be caught offside this season. Cahill has also made a brilliant 10 clearances per game- again, this reading of the game is part of the reason he’s averaged just 1 tackle- Rooney has been dispossessed 1.7 times per game and Cahill will need to make more one-on-one challenges if he’s to dent Rooney’s impact. The centre half has averaged 7.07 so far in WhoScored ratings, with Rooney on a brilliant 8.97. It may be a thankless task ahead for the Bolton stopper.
Gretar Steinsson v Ashley Young
Young has scored twice and made 4 assists as he has effortlessly slotted into the Man United side following his summer transfer from Aston Villa. Steinsson, on the other hand, has not been in the best of form and looks to be in for a troubling ninety minutes. The United winger has averaged 2.7 shots, the third most potent goal threat for the champions, while Steinsson has managed to block 1 shot per game.
Young’s creativity has been a feature of his game for his new club, with 3 key passes per game helping him to those 4 assists- Steinsson has made a mere 0.7 interceptions on average, easily the worst of any Bolton defender and he will need to improve on cutting out Young’s distribution if he is to have any chance of winning their particular battle.
The United man has also shown his ability on the ball with 1.3 successful dribbles per game and Steinsson again fares poorly here- he’s been beaten by an average 1.3 dribbles per game and Young will look to take him on as much as possible.
Young has been dispossessed 2 times per game and similar to Cahill, Steinsson has made just 1 tackle on average but while Cahill’s other defensive stats make up for this deficiency, the right-back is nowhere near as impressive. A WhoScored rating of 7.99 highlights what Young has offered so far and with a lowly 6.16 per game in comparison, Steinsson’s season has not been the best by any means. Facing up to the Premier League’s in-form winger is perhaps the last thing he needs right now.
