Aston Villa draw Bolton in Carabao Cup second round
Aston Villa will play Bolton in the second round of the Carabao Cup after the draw was made on Wednesday night (10 August).
The EFL confirmed on their official website after the draw that the Villans will make their way to the University of Bolton Stadium later this month to play against the League One club.
Bolton won 5-1 against Salford City on Tuesday night (9 August) to book their clash against the Premier League club.
Decent draw
As long as Aston Villa aren’t on the wrong end of a cup upset, that’s a decent draw for Steven Gerrard and his players.
Not only does it give the Midlands club a good chance of progressing to the next round but it also allows Gerrard to rest some of his key players and give opportunities to those who aren’t as vital to the side and some youngsters.
Bolton have had a great start to their League One campaign so they’ll definitely be up for a giant-killing in Lancashire.
Ian Evatt’s side is third in the standings after two games having beaten Wycombe 3-0 before a 1-1 draw against Ipswich at the weekend.
Aston Villa though should see this game as one they should win with the Carabao Cup potentially a winnable competition this season.
Villa shouldn’t be in trouble when it comes to the relegation battle and it’s unlikely that they’ll be in the running for a spot in European football.
That means a mid-table finish is on the cards for Gerrard and his squad so pushing a bit harder in the Carabao Cup is something that should be considered.
In other Aston Villa news, Paul Merson has predicted Villa’s clash with Everton this weekend.