Cardiff City pulled themselves off the bottom of the Championship table in impressive fashion, thrashing 10-man Plymouth Argyle to secure only their second league win of the season.
In what was undoubtedly their best performance of the campaign, the Bluebirds quickly raced to a 2-0 lead, thanks to Alex Robertson’s stunning 20-yard curling shot and a similarly elegant finish from Rubin Colwill.
Plymouth’s troubles deepened when Ibrahim Cissoko was sent off for pushing Perry Ng to the ground just before halftime.
The unstoppable Colwill, who assisted Robertson’s opener, provided another assist in the second half with a low cross that Anwar El Ghazi converted. Callum Robinson then added a fourth with a brilliant run and finish.
Chris Willock capped off the scoring with a bouncing shot from the edge of the penalty area, bringing Cardiff’s total to five goals—more than doubling their tally for the season, having managed only four in their previous nine matches.
This victory lifted the Bluebirds two places to 22nd in the table, just one point from safety, and marked their first five-goal league game since 2017.
Meanwhile, Plymouth remained without an away win this season and slipped to 18th place.
Even before Cissoko’s red card, Argyle delivered a disappointing performance, with manager Wayne Rooney watching from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban.
Cardiff was expected to have a new manager by now, following the sacking of Erol Bulut last month.
However, with the search for a permanent successor ongoing, interim manager Omer Riza aimed to strengthen his case for the role after overseeing one win, one draw, and one loss in his three matches prior to the international break.
This represented a significant improvement over their previous run, where they managed just one point and one goal from six games. This performance marked a substantial step forward.
Cardiff set the tone with a lively and purposeful start, displaying an attacking intent that starkly contrasted with their earlier displays this season.
Colwill was pivotal, finding space and driving at Plymouth’s defenders, often bewildering them with his skillful footwork.
One such run created a chance for El Ghazi, while another set up Robertson for his exquisite first-time strike that sailed into the far corner.
Eight minutes later, Plymouth mishandled a defensive clearance, sending the ball high into the air. Colwill skillfully controlled it before guiding his finish into the net.
As Argyle struggled to contain the Wales playmaker, they may have pondered what could have been if Michael Obafemi hadn’t fired wide from a promising position while the score was still 0-0.
Any hopes the visitors had of staging a comeback faded when Cissoko received a red card. After being tripped by Ollie Tanner, Cardiff right-back Perry Ng kicked the ball at Cissoko, who retaliated by grabbing Ng by the neck and pushing him to the ground.
Cardiff capitalized fully in the second half as Colwill glided into the penalty area and delivered a low cross to the back post, where El Ghazi could not miss, scoring his first goal for the Bluebirds.
The chances kept coming as the home side tore their opponents apart. David Turnbull sent a long-range effort wide after Plymouth’s Bali Mumba headed one against his own crossbar.
Robinson added to the scoreline by racing down the left, cutting inside onto his right foot, and drilling a firm finish into the far corner. He paid tribute to his close friend and former teammate, George Baldock, who tragically passed away at the age of just 31 earlier this month.
Plymouth goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw made a great save to deny Robinson a second goal, but moments later, Willock fired a first-time shot into the ground and into the net, capping off a resounding win and performance that left the home fans in disbelief.