Two goals inside 15 minutes, then Sá keeps Cardiff at bay

Wolves beat Cardiff 3-0 at Molineux after scoring twice in the first quarter of an hour, and Cardiff's chances were weaker than usual.

Wolves were two goals up before a quarter of an hour had passed, and that is the part of this win that changes how everything else reads. Fer López scored in the tenth minute and Adam Armstrong added a second in the fifteenth, so Cardiff spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get back into a game they had never led.

Wolves had only 39% of the ball, well below the 54% they usually keep at home. They also took fewer shots than usual, 13 against a home average of 15.7, yet their chances were better. Expected goals, a measure that gives each shot a value for how likely it was to go in, came to 1.6 for Wolves against a home average of 1.41. Ladislav Krejčí added the third in the 58th minute, set up by Kieran Trippier.

Cardiff had 61% of the ball, which is almost exactly their 59.9% average away from home, so their share of possession was ordinary for them. Their shot count matched Wolves, but it sat under their usual away figure of 16.5, and their expected goals of 1.12 fell well short of the 1.93 they usually produce on the road. Rubin Colwill had the most attempts for Cardiff, four shots with two on target, but none of them ended in the net.

José Sá was the reason the score stayed where it was. Cardiff hit the target nine times, and Sá stopped every one, finishing the match with a rating of 8.9. Wolves usually concede about 0.78 expected goals at home, and Cardiff's 1.12 is above that, so they allowed better chances than normal and still kept a clean sheet.

Fer López, who scored and was rated 8.0, and Armstrong, rated 7.9 with a goal of his own, did most of the attacking damage in the first half. Rafiki Said Ahamada, who made Armstrong's goal with an assist and produced two key passes, was the other name that stood out. Wolves created their openings through the front players rather than by keeping the ball.

Wolves now sit sixth in the table with 21 points from 12 matches, and six of those points are home wins. Cardiff are 17th with 14 points. Their away record reads three wins, five draws and four defeats from 12 matches.

Player of the matchJosé Sá9 saves8.9

Fer López1 goal8.0

A. Armstrong1 goal7.9

L. Krejčí1 goal7.7