Bristol City vs Sheffield Wed prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-11-03 15:00.
Bristol City made the shock decision to part company with boss Nigel Pearson following last weekendâs 2-0 defeat on the road at Cardiff, and this weekend they begin life without him. Pearsonâs departure came with the Robins just five points outside the play-offs after 15 games, with the club hierarchy unhappy with the playing style, desperate to be a âprogressive, front-foot teamâ.
It remains to be seen who Pearsonâs replacement will be, but whoever it is will have work to do from the off to win over the clubâs supporters over, with his exit met with a hugely negative reaction from large sections of the Ashton Gate fanbase. That dismay is only enhanced by the fact that their three most recent defeats have all come against teams in the top six ahead of the round (Leeds, Ipswich & Cardiff), while theyâve actually beaten every team theyâve faced this season who start this round below them in the table!
Thatâs a worrying stat for Saturdayâs opponents Sheffield Wednesday, who fall into that category as they are rooted to the foot of the table, eight points adrift of safety. Itâs not all doom and gloom though, as new boss Danny Röhl got his – and Wednesdayâs – first win of the season last time out against Rotherham (2-0), while recent matches against Bristol City have been fruitful, with Wednesday losing only one of the last six (W4, D1, L1).
Despite the small positives on the field heading into this clash, things off it just got a whole lot worse, as owner Dejphon Chansiri has informed supporters they will need to put their hands in their pockets and raise the ÂŁ2 million owed to HMRC as he has âcome unstuckâ from a business point of view. If that money isnât found from somewhere soon, a points deduction may well be on its way, which would probably serve as the final nail in Wednesdayâs coffin as far as beating the drop goes.
Players to watch: Robins frontman Nahki Wells has three career goals against Wednesday, including one at Ashton Gate in 2020. With his two goals last weekend, Wednesday striker Michael Smith became their top scorer this season. He too has three goals to his name against the opposition, scoring home and away in 2-0 wins in the 2020/21 season whilst playing for Rotherham.
Hot stat: Nine of Bristol Cityâs games this season have been decided by a one-goal margin, including five of their last six outings.