Wolves scored twice in the opening 15 minutes to put the match largely out of Cardiff’s reach, and a third from Krejčí effectively put it to bed. All three goals came from headers, marking the first time Wolves have scored multiple headed goals in a league match since May 2025. Despite Cardiff having the majority of possession and more shots on target, Wolves held firm defensively to secure a clean sheet and a convincing victory.
José Sá – 8
It may have been the sloppiest 11-save clean sheet I’ve ever seen in my life, but it was an 11-save clean sheet nonetheless. That doesn’t even account for the countless crosses and loose balls he collected, likely preventing even more chances. There were certainly some scary drops and rebounds bouncing around the box, but a zero on the scoresheet is good enough for me.
Kieran Trippier – 8
What a match from the captain. Great crosses, tackles, recoveries, and clearances all day long. My one minor gripe would be the handful of times he got beaten down the line, but even then, he recovered well. An excellent all-around performance today.
Yerson Mosquera – 7
Not much to say here, which is a good thing for a center-back. He was tidy, reliable, and did exactly what was asked of him. A solid performance in front of goal.
Ladislav Krejčí – 9
He was EVERYWHERE today. I lost count in the first half of how many times he stepped up to win the ball or intercepted a pass while Cardiff were on the attack. His reading of the game was exceptional, and he seemed to be involved in just about every defensive sequence. Top all of that off with a goal? Excellent.
Hugo Bueno – 10
I believe this might just be the first 10 I’ve handed out this year, and it is so well deserved. Watching Bueno today was an absolute treat.
He picked up an assist on the opening goal after making a run nearly the length of the pitch. He wasn’t dispossessed a single time, was never dribbled past, won five of his seven duels, and recorded 12 defensive contributions (joint-most on the team).
He was absolutely untouchable today. Just a phenomenal performance on both ends of the pitch.
Marshall Munetsi – 4
I’ve been a longtime Munetsi defender, but today was pretty bad. He offered very little in the press, which is supposed to be one of his primary responsibilities. Going forward wasn’t much better, as nearly every attempt to carry the ball ended with him running straight into a defender and giving possession away.
Usually, even when he’s struggling on the ball, he at least does a good job of getting into dangerous positions and finding chances. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case today either. A really disappointing performance.
André – 6
He did a good job doing his thing today. Nothing particularly special, but no glaring errors either. He kept the ball moving, did his job in midfield, and helped maintain some stability throughout the match. Nothing to complain about, really.
Jordan James – 5
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to grade him on, as he was forced off with an injury in the 36th minute. He looked promising going forward during his time on the pitch, but he simply didn’t have enough time to make much of an impact.
Rafiki Saïd – 7
Finally, some of that potential we’ve been seeing has translated into his first goal contribution!
He’s still sloppy at times, but he is genuinely so much fun to watch when he’s taking on defenders. He’ll make some questionable decisions (or occasionally no decision at all), and there’s definitely plenty of refining left to do.
That being said, his confidence on the ball is exciting, and it feels like he’s getting better every single week. There’s a really entertaining player developing here.
Fer López – 8
After missing last week’s match, López wasted absolutely no time getting the party started with a fantastic early header. From there, he orchestrated much of the attack and looked completely comfortable doing so.
He just looks so smooth leading this attack. The weight he puts on his passes, his awareness of the space around him, and his ability to keep things moving are all spectacular to watch. Another really impressive outing.
Adam Armstrong – 7
Armstrong nodded in his third goal of the season, making it two consecutive matches on the scoresheet. A great early header to double the lead and put Wolves firmly in control.
Outside of the goal, he wasn’t particularly involved in the attack, but he did a good job pressing and putting pressure on Cardiff’s defenders. Not the busiest afternoon, but he made his big opportunity count.
Substitutes
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 3
He was extremely tough to watch today after coming on as an early replacement for James.
Misplaced passes, losing seemingly every one-on-one battle with a defender, poor crosses, and heavy touches. Just about everything he tried seemed to go wrong. It was not a fun watch, and he offered very little to help Wolves maintain control of the midfield.
Rodrigo Gomes – 6
He injects so much pace into the attack, and his ability to get himself into dangerous positions is undeniable. However, outside of his recent knack for putting away rebounds and deflections, his finishing still needs some serious work.
Twice today, he found himself in nearly identical situations, took essentially the same shot from the same spot, and sent both efforts about 10 yards over the bar.
That being said, he creates those opportunities through his own pace and ability. I’d much rather see him have a go than pull the ball back to runners who don’t exist. He’s doing the right things to get into those positions. He just needs to make some small adjustments to his finishing, and the goals will follow.
Mateus Mané – 5
Tommy Doyle – N/A
