3 Wrexham vs Bristol City player battles that can set the tone of the Red Dragons away Championship fixture at Ashton Gate.
Hours ago, Frank Lampard’s Coventry City played their 32nd Championship game where they regained their first position after slipping to second last week. There were plenty of whispers about Coventry bottling their title push and a 3-1 winning response has certainly put them to bed.
Wrexham are also in action tonight vs Bristol City, and they also have their lost top 6 status to win. As such, taking inspiration from Coventry City’s 3-1 Middlesbrough performance won’t be a bad idea. After all, the last league outing was a frustrating 2-0 defeat to Millwall.
Wrexham left it too late to create a bunch of meaningful chances and give themselves a winning shot at it. Before that, the defence cheaply let in 2 goals that could have been easily avoided if not for a couple of defensive lapses.
Seven days have passed since then, and Wrexham fans will hope the team has learned from those mistakes when they will play Bristol City tonight. A win is a must for tonight otherwise Wrexham also risk failing behind Gerhard Struber’s men in the playoffs race.
That said, there are 3 Wrexham vs Bristol City player battles that can dictate the outcome of the Ashton Gate trip.
3 Wrexham vs Bristol City player battles
1. Nathan Broadhead vs Ross McCrorie
Back in November, Nathan Broadhead struck a sublime top corner goal against Bristol City to fire Wrexham into a first half 1-0 lead. Moreover, the 27-year-old played multiple give-and-go passes near the Bristol City box that constantly led to big chances falling for Wrexham.
In doing that, Broadhead was narrowly denied an assist on George Dobson’s 1v1 effort as well. Phil Parkinson will need a replica of that Broadhead performance tonight, and the best part is that the left winger is a huge favourite to return tonight.
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Bristol City will definitely not love this update. Instead, they will require the ever-present right wingback Ross McCrorie to restrict the Welshman beyond the final third. Not only that, McCrorie is an adept playmaker as well while going forward.
Hence, it will be a tight contest between Nathan Broadhead and Ross McCrorie on the left wing. If Broadhead wins it, that will boost the Reds chances to score multiple goals on the night and seal the 3 points home.
2. George Dobson vs Scott Twine
It’s no secret that Bristol City have suffered a dip in form since they sold star attacking midfielder Anis Mehmeti to Ipswich Town in January. Without Mehmeti, Scott Twine is the Robins biggest hope in terms of adding creativity and flair into their front three.
If Wrexham can see off Twine’s playmaking threat then the away evening can turn to be a light outing for the back three. George Dobson can help with exactly that. Ideally, Wrexham fans will want Matty James to return to action soon.
However, he didn’t even make the bench against Ipswich Town unlike unused substitute Nathan Broadhead meaning James can only come on today for a substitute cameo at best. That leaves Dobson as the most in-form defensive midfielder in Wrexham’s ranks.
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His interceptions and ball winning ability has stood out in recent weeks, plus he can effortlessly find Lewis O’Brien or any nearby player whenever he gets pressed. The 28-year-old will be a solid candidate to win his midfield battle against Scott Twine which will pave the way for Phil Parkinson’s men to gain much defensive solidity throughout the 90 minutes.
3. Sam Smith vs Rob Dickie
Sam Smith missed a sitter against Ipswich Town and it’s hard to defend him for that miss. Still, his box presence was impressive in the 1-0 FA Cup win where he constantly acted as a targetman waiting for Thomason and Longman to cross into him. He should be rewarded for his positioning with a Bristol City start.
Here, Smith can bring the early 1-0 lead like he usually does for the Reds and set the tone for the win. Bristol City have also sold Zak Vyner to Wrexham in the final days of the January transfer window. That essentially makes it a Sam Smith vs Rob Dickie physical battle in the Robins box.
Dickie has worn the Bristol City captain’s armband for large parts of the season and has done well playing at the heart of the defence. If Smith can beat his marker then Wrexham will take another big step on the path to a first Championship win in February. Rest, let’s see how it goes.
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