Norwich City v Bolton Wanderers: mid-table push meets early-season lift-off | OneFootball

Norwich City host Bolton Wanderers in the Championship at Carrow Road on Sunday, 20 September 2026, with the hosts looking to steady a mixed start and the visitors aiming to build on a morale-boosting win after four straight league defeats.

Norwich City won both Championship meetings with Bolton Wanderers in 2018-19, and they meet again with the hosts 14th on nine points and the visitors 20th on seven after seven games.

The Canaries have three wins and four defeats, scoring 13 and conceding 13 with no clean sheets in the league. Bolton Wanderers ended a run of four losses by beating Cardiff 1-0, but their recent away outings included a heavy 4-0 defeat at Millwall.

Injuries could shape selections. For the Canaries, midfielders Mirko Topić and Ali Ahmed plus defender Lucien Mahovo are sidelined. Bolton Wanderers list defenders Lewis Brunt and Chris Forino, and midfielder Luca Stephenson, as injured.

The Canaries may look to open-play pressure rather than set pieces, having scored 11 of their 13 league goals from inside the box and none from dead balls. Mohamed Touré leads their scoring with four league goals. Bolton Wanderers deliver plenty from wide areas, with 108 open-play crosses and two headed goals so far, and Thierry Gale features on the combined goals and assists chart with three.

A home win would take the Canaries to 12 points and could nudge them towards the top half. Victory for Bolton Wanderers would move them to 10 points and could ease them further away from the relegation places.