Santo: My Wolves are ruthless
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo hailed his team’s ruthlessness after a red card for the young Leeds midfielder Ronaldo Vieira allowed Wolves to stretch their lead at the top of the Championship to four points.
The England Under-20 international was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card on the hour, just as Leeds had found a foothold in the match at 2-1 down after being outplayed in the first half.
“It was a hard game and the sending-off of the Leeds player was the turning point,” Santo said. “But I was pleased with the way we took control after the red card rather than relying on the scoreline to stay at 2-1.”
Wolves had been impressive in the first half, with goals by Barry Douglas and Ivan Cavaleiro helping them to occupy a commanding position at the break.
Douglas, their Scottish left-back, put them ahead with a superb 25-yard free-kick from wide on the right after Liam Cooper had bodychecked Cavaleiro.
Then Cavaleiro, who tormented the visitors throughout the first half, finished a fine move with a sharp finish from just inside the penalty area, his jinking movement leaving two Leeds defenders on the floor.
Macedonian attacker Ezgjan Alioski fired Leeds back into contention early in the second half with a volley to match the quality of the Wolves goals and Thomas Christiansen’s team, who have suffered a dip in form in the last two months after a bright start to the campaign, were playing with the confidence of a team who thought they could do some damage.
But after losing Vieira, whose yellow cards were both for fouls on Diogo Jota, they were punished twice more. “I thought we were capable of getting a draw,” Christiansen said. “The red card cost us the possibility to come back.”
Wolves struck twice in the space of four minutes to put the result beyond recall for Leeds.
Jota topped off a fast break down the left-hand channel with a deftly chipped finish over Andy Lonergan before substitute Helder Costa, just on for a tiring Cavaleiro, scored from the penalty spot after Lonergan had brought down Leo Bonatini.