Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 0, Aston Villa 2.
Bolton 0-2 Aston Villa: Wanderers relegated from Championship as Villa equal club record
- From the section Championship
Bolton have been relegated from the Championship following a home defeat by Aston Villa.
Second-half goals by Jack Grealish and Tammy Abraham gave Villa a club record-equalling ninth straight win and sent Bolton into League One.
Wanderers are set to be sold to former Watford owner Laurence Bassini after a season of financial woes.
But they will begin next season in the third tier after a 14th defeat in 18 games.
Bolton, who are 11 points from safety with three games left, are heading for League One just seven years after dropping out of the Premier League.
The latest defeat was their fourth in a row with players still awaiting their March wages as Bassini waits to complete the takeover from current owner Ken Anderson.
Villa had the early chances with Anwar El Ghazi firing wide from a Jack Grealish cross before John McGinn had an effort cleared off the line by Harry Brockbank.
Bolton then lost both captain David Wheater and veteran midfielder Gary O'Neil to injury before half-time.
Villa claimed the lead just two minutes into the second half when Tammy Abraham crossed to the far post for Grealish to head home.
Ten minutes later Grealish returned the favour, collecting a pass by McGinn and setting up Abraham to head home and become the first Villa player to score 25 league goals in a season since Andy Gray in 1976-77.
Victory also equalled their club record of nine successive wins, set in 1910, and left them six points clear of seventh-place in the race for play-off spots.
To compound Bolton's misery, they set a new club record of 27 league defeats in a season.
Line-ups
Bolton
- 1Alnwick
- 36Brockbank
- 31WheaterSubstituted forBeeversat 36'minutesBooked at 64mins
- 14Hobbs
- 3Taylor
- 19O'NeilSubstituted forMagennisat 45'minutes
- 21Williams
- 48Connell
- 11Buckley
- 17ConnollyBooked at 79mins
- 8DonaldsonSubstituted forOztumerat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Beevers
- 6Vela
- 7Oztumer
- 16Olkowski
- 27Williams
- 28Magennis
- 30Wildschut
Aston Villa
- 12Steer
- 27El MohamadyBooked at 17mins
- 4TuanzebeSubstituted forJedinakat 74'minutes
- 40Mings
- 3Taylor
- 6Whelan
- 37Adomah
- 7McGinnSubstituted forHourihaneat 72'minutes
- 10Grealish
- 22El Ghazi
- 18AbrahamSubstituted forDavisat 60'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Lansbury
- 14Hourihane
- 15Jedinak
- 17Davis
- 19Green
- 20Bjarnason
- 33Sarkic
- Referee:
- John Brooks
- Attendance:
- 17,344
Match Stats
Home TeamBoltonAway TeamAston Villa
- Possession
- Home34%
- Away66%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away21
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away9
- Corners
- Home2
- Away16
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away8
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 0, Aston Villa 2.
Attempt missed. Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Conor Hourihane following a corner.
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Jack Hobbs.
Attempt missed. Joe Williams (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Erhun Oztumer.
Attempt missed. Luca Connell (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Erhun Oztumer.
Attempt saved. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady.
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Callum Connolly.
Attempt blocked. Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Erhun Oztumer.
Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Andrew Taylor (Bolton Wanderers).
Foul by Albert Adomah (Aston Villa).
Andrew Taylor (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Anwar El Ghazi.
Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Josh Magennis (Bolton Wanderers).
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Erhun Oztumer replaces Clayton Donaldson.
Foul by Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa).
Callum Connolly (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Callum Connolly (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Attempt blocked. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Anwar El Ghazi with a cross.
Foul by Albert Adomah (Aston Villa).
William Buckley (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Aston Villa. Mile Jedinak replaces Axel Tuanzebe because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Joe Williams (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Callum Connolly.
Substitution
Substitution, Aston Villa. Conor Hourihane replaces John McGinn.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Axel Tuanzebe (Aston Villa) because of an injury.
Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Keinan Davis.
Attempt blocked. Joe Williams (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Axel Tuanzebe (Aston Villa).
William Buckley (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
John McGinn (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Callum Connolly (Bolton Wanderers).
Attempt blocked. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tyrone Mings.
Booking
Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
