Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 Leeds United

Helder Costa scored his first goal of the season for Wolves

Wolves eased to their biggest home win of the season as they saw off Leeds United to open up a four-point lead at the top of the Championship.

The hosts led 2-0 at the break thanks to Barry Douglas' superb free-kick and Ivan Cavaleiro's smart finish.

Ezgjan Alioski ghosted in to pull one back, but team-mate Ronaldo Vieira was then sent off for a second booking.

But Diogo Jota ran through to chip a third before sub Helder Costa's clinching penalty.

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After a quiet start on a wet, windy night at Molineux, Wolves' dead-ball specialist Douglas brought the game to life when he curled a stunning left-foot free-kick into the top right corner on 15 minutes.

Top scorer Leo Bonatini twice went close as did Cavaleiro before rampant Wolves doubled their lead on 26 minutes.

Fed from the right, Cavaleiro turned inside and had time to beat a man inside the penalty area before smashing in a left-foot shot from 12 yards, which former Wolves keeper Andy Lonergan got a hand to but could not prevent going in.

Cavaleiro was then so close to a third, exchanging passes with Jota before a clever toe poke with the outside of his right boot drifted just wide.

Yet, after a first half of home dominance, within three minutes of the restart, Leeds cut the deficit to just one goal.

Latching onto Samuel Saiz's ball in from the left, Alioski stole in behind Wolves' dozing defence and hooked in left-foot volley.

Leeds looked capable of levelling until midfielder Vieira was sent off on the hour mark for his second bookable offence for repeating his first-half foul on Jota.

And the substitution of Costa for Cavaleiro gave the hosts further impetus.

Within three minutes of coming on, while Molineux was still purring at one superb piece of Costa's close dribbling on the right flank, Jota raced through a yawning gap to subtly lift his left-foot chip over the advancing Lonergan.

And, when Bonatini was brought down by Lonergan, last year's leading scorer Costa confidently struck home the penalty for his first goal of the season to send most of a 28,914 crowd home happy.

Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo told BBC WM:

"It was a good performance in the first half, but the result does not tell how hard it was for us as we were playing a good team.

"At 2-1, the sending off changed the game. It was a fair decision. But we know hard it is to play with one man less.

"Being four points clear still means nothing at this stage. We simply prepare for the next game."

Leeds United head coach Thomas Christiansen told BBC Sport:

"We have faced the best team in the league tonight. Their pace and movement is exceptional.

"But look at the players they have. Jota, Costa, Cavaleiro, Bonatini, Neves. Who wouldn't want one of them in their team?

"But we matched them at times and were in it until the sending off. We have to learn from that and accept it. The referee was right."