Aston Villa fight back to beat League One Bolton

Aston Villa were forced to come from behind as Steven Gerrard’s side avoided a Carabao Cup upset at the hands of League One Bolton Wanderers.

However, Douglas Luiz scored directly from a corner to bring five-time winners Villa level before half-time.

Danny Ings completed the turnaround from the penalty spot before Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey sealed victory.

Gerrard said his side would treat Tuesday’s tie with “serious importance” as they sought to avoid a cup upset following Sunday’s disappointing 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace.

Pressure is threatening to build on the former Rangers boss following a run of three league wins in 14 games since March and, reiterating the need to respect the opposition prior to kick-off, the Villa boss named a strong line-up.

Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho and forward Ings were among five players to come in, though it was a determined Bolton who fired the first warning shot as Elias Kachunga drilled wide inside the opening five minutes.

With Ollie Watkins clearly offside as he poked in an attempt from Ings, the stadium erupted as Charles put the hosts ahead following excellent work by Kieran Lee to beat Calum Chambers.

The Premier League side equalised in bizarre fashion as Luiz’s right-footed set-piece evaded the reach of goalkeeper Joel Dixon amid a crowded six-yard box and floated into the top corner.

Gerrard sent his players out early for the second half and the visitors appeared much brighter after the restart – Ings clipping the post from an angle.

The striker was deemed marginally onside just after the hour as he raced through on goal before being felled by Dixon’s outstretched leg, emphatically dispatching the resulting penalty.

Digne then extended the advantage with his first goal for the club three minutes later, while Bailey cut in from the right before finding the far bottom corner to cap a much-improved second-half display.

“You are always looking for the right reaction and response,” said Gerrard, adding that his side could now approach a “huge” league meeting with West Ham on Sunday “with a bit more confidence and belief”.

On that upcoming fixture, he added: “We’re at home with our fans behind us and if we manage to achieve what we want to achieve, it will settle a few things down.”