Leeds United strode to a comfortable win at the Championship’s bottom side Cardiff City to heap more pressure on Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut on an emotional day in the Welsh capital.
There were moving scenes before and during the game as both teams and their supporters paid tribute to Sol Bamba, the former Cardiff and Leeds captain who died last month aged just 39.
With the visitors already on top, the Bluebirds’ onerous task was made more difficult when Joel Bagan was sent off after 23 minutes for a foul on Wilfried Gnonto which referee Josh Smith deemed to have denied a goalscoring opportunity.
Largie Ramazani’s composed finish put Leeds in front seven minutes later and, were it not for Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick, the away side would have been out of sight by half-time.
Alnwick saved a tame penalty from Pascal Struijk after the break and, although the score did not reflect Leeds’ dominance, a well-taken goal by substitute Joel Piroe added a late gloss.
Victory lifts Leeds up to sixth in the Championship table and offers an immediate response to last weekend’s first league defeat of the season at home to Burnley.
Cardiff, meanwhile, continue to plumb new depths in what is now their worst start to a league season for 94 years, propping up the Championship table with just one point and a solitary goal from their opening six matches.
Bulut only signed a new two-year contract in June and said before this match he would “never give up” but his future is out of his hands, particularly when you consider Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan has gone through 11 permanent managers during his 14 years at the club.
This was always likely to be one of Cardiff’s tougher fixtures and, although Bulut’s fate will not rest on results against the Championship’s promotion favourites, he is bound to be on unsteady ground after losing five of his six league games so far this season.
Pressure is relative to each club, and his counterpart Daniel Farke was not without his critics. Including the end of last season, Leeds had only won four of their previous 15 matches.
But Cardiff were no match for the Yorkshire club, who could have ended this contest by half-time.
There were chances for Mateo Joseph and Ilia Gruev before Bagan’s red card and, after the Cardiff defender’s dismissal, Leeds continued to rip their opponents apart.
Joseph created the opening goal for Ramazani, who cantered through an open defence and neatly curled the ball into the bottom corner.
Alnwick was kept busy with saves to deny Joseph, Ramazani and Gruev, and the one-way traffic did not abate in the second half.
Brenden Aaronson slid a close-range effort wide from Jayden Bogle’s cross, and it was Bogle who was clumsily tripped by Callum O’Dowda for Leeds’ penalty, only for Struijk’s timid low spot-kick to be saved by Alnwick.
Leeds might have wondered how they were only one goal in front. Indeed, there was a hint of frustration in the away end that their team were unable to turn their dominance into a healthier advantage.
There was never any danger of losing the lead, though, not when Cardiff were so lacking in any attacking threat.
As well as their own team’s abject display, the home fans then had to watch former Swansea City striker Piroe come on and score Leeds’ second with an assured left-footed finish.
Cardiff City: Alnwick, Ng, Chambers, Fish, Bagan, Ralls (Robertson 59’), Siopis (Willock 79’), R. Colwill, O’Dowda (Ashford 79’), Tanner (El Ghazi 59’), Kanga (Collins 45’). Subs not used: Horvath, Goutas, Rinomhota, Turnbull.
Leeds United: Meslier, Bogle (Byram 84’) Firpo, Rodon, Struijk, Ampadu, Gruev (Rothwell 90’), Ramazani (Piroe 84’), Gnonto (Schmidt 90’), Joseph (Tanaka 90’) Subs not used: Darlow, Debayo, Crew, Bamford.