Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United renew acquaintances in the Championship on Tuesday evening (20:00 BST), their first league meeting in 15 years. The numbers that surround the fixture tell a compelling story about two sides travelling in very different directions this season, and about a historic head-to-head record that has swung sharply over the decades.

Bolton desperate to end a losing run at home

Ian Evatt's side head into the match looking to arrest a three-game losing streak. What makes that run particularly jarring is the context at Toughsheet Community Stadium: Bolton had lost just one of their previous 23 home league fixtures before the current campaign, a sequence that included 13 wins and nine draws. They have already lost two of their past three at home this season, making Tuesday's game something of an urgent reset.

The visitors, meanwhile, are still searching for their first away win of the Championship season. West Ham have drawn both of their road fixtures so far, and according to BBC Sport's statistical breakdown, they have never drawn their first three away games of any league campaign in their history. That unwanted record is therefore very much on the line at Toughsheet.

A head-to-head that rewards the home side

For all that Bolton's home form has wobbled lately, their overall league record against West Ham remains remarkably strong. The Trotters have won each of their past seven league meetings with the Hammers, all of them coming in the Premier League between 2008 and 2011. West Ham's away record at Bolton is even more starkly one-sided: they have lost each of their past eight league visits to the ground, a run that stretches back to a 1-1 draw in February 1998. Their last away league victory over Bolton came in November 1995, a 3-0 win now almost three decades old.

Bolton will be acutely aware of those numbers and will look to use them as motivation. West Ham, conversely, will want to demonstrate that their squad is capable of rewriting a deeply unflattering chapter of their recent history against this particular opponent.

West Ham's record against promoted clubs

One statistical thread that will encourage the travelling support is West Ham's recent form against newly promoted sides. Last season they won each of their final four league games against promoted opponents by an aggregate score of 11-3. Their record in the Championship against promoted clubs is equally imposing: they have won their past two such fixtures by an aggregate score of 8-0.

Bolton won promotion to this level last season and therefore fall into that category. Whether West Ham can carry that momentum into a division where the tactical demands and matchday conditions are quite different remains to be seen, but the underlying numbers at least suggest they tend to rise to such occasions.

What the fixture means in the table

With Bolton's early-season struggles at the back of their minds, three points would offer a timely lift and halt any drift towards the wrong end of the second-tier table. For West Ham, a first away win would do more than simply move them up the standings; it would signal to the rest of the division that they can translate strong home performances into results on the road. A third successive away draw would, on the other hand, make the historic precedent very hard to escape.

Kick-off at Toughsheet Community Stadium is 20:00 BST on Tuesday.

Frequently asked

When do Bolton Wanderers play West Ham United in the Championship?
The two sides meet at Toughsheet Community Stadium on Tuesday evening, with kick-off at 20:00 BST.
What is Bolton's recent head-to-head record against West Ham?
Bolton have won each of their past seven league meetings with West Ham, while West Ham have lost each of their past eight away league fixtures at Bolton, a run dating back to 1998.
How have West Ham United started the Championship season away from home?
West Ham have drawn both of their away Championship fixtures so far this season and are seeking their first away win of the campaign.