Rampant Wolves destroy Blades in teatime thriller

This was Wolves at their irresistible best, sweeping aside Sheffield United with a resounding victory to re-establish an 11-point advantage at the summit of the Championship. The chasing pack are again in the distance after second-placed Derby had shown the audacity to temporarily reduce the arrears to eight points earlier.

‘Out of darkness cometh light’ is the city’s motto and once adorned Wolves’ gold and black colours. Here, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team ran out with invention, poise and purpose, illuminating a damp Wolverhampton evening and putting the Blades to the sword.

It was the sort of artistry that the visiting players may have admired had they been watching the game on television instead of being at the sharp end. Ruben Neves’s coruscating fifth minute effort set the tone for a dominant showing that also brought a beautifully crafted second goal for Diogo Jota and a fortuitous third, courtesy of Ivan Cavaleiro’s deflected free-kick.

By then, the Sheffield United goalkeeper Simon Moore had been dismissed for poleaxing Leo Bonatini and his replacement, Jake Eastwood – an academy graduate – unhappily found his first involvement at senior level was picking the ball out of his own goal after being wrong-footed.

“The standard and quality of the first goal set a marker for the evening so we have no complaints,” said the Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder. “Nobody had done that to us all season. When you are up against the quality they have got, the quality off their bench, it’s difficult especially when they score the two goals that they did after the first 15 to 20 minutes. It really puts you on the back-foot. The sending-off was game, set and match.”

Facing the league leaders was always going to be a challenging assignment for Wilder’s men who have faded in recent weeks, recording just two victories in their last 13 league outings.

Inside two minutes, Cavaleiro’s nimble feet had left his marker embracing the turf as he danced down the left. If his cross had been converted by Helder Costa on the volley, it would have set the bar high even for this Wolves team.

The home supporters did not have to wait long though for the opening goal. Conor Coady’s pass released Cavaleiro and Neves strode forward to dispatch a curling effort from 25 yards. “We’ll be s--- in the winter” rang the chant from the stands as an exchange between Jota and Cavaleiro allowed the former to sweep home the second, with Espirito Santo revelling on the touchline.

“The boys enjoyed the game,” said the Wolves head coach. “The second goal put us ahead in the game. It was important to achieve that. The team needed a goal to finish the game and that’s why I was happy about it.”