Brighton & Hove Albion wasted no time asserting themselves on Saturday afternoon, storming past Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 at the American Express Stadium to keep their Champions League hopes very much alive.

The hosts were in front after just 1 minute when Jack Hinshelwood rose to head home, stunning Wolves before they had even settled into the fixture. Four minutes later, Brighton doubled the advantage through Lewis Dunk, who also found the net with a header in the 5th minute as the home side turned early pressure into a ruthless lead.

That blistering start effectively set the tone for the rest of the contest. Brighton dominated the ball throughout, finishing with 72.2 percent possession, seven corners and 13 total shots, while Wolves struggled to gain any meaningful foothold. The visitors managed only one shot on target and rarely looked capable of mounting a response.

Wolves did at least show some bite after the interval, but their frustration became more evident than their attacking threat. Hwang Hee-Chan went into the book in the 49th minute, while Andre was cautioned in the 68th minute as Brighton continued to control the rhythm and territory.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side remained patient rather than frantic in search of a third goal, probing down the flanks and keeping Wolves pinned back. The insurance goal finally arrived in the 86th minute when Yankuba Minteh put the result beyond doubt, capping another polished attacking move and rounding off an accomplished home performance.

Kaoru Mitoma was shown a yellow card in the 24th minute, one of the few blemishes on an otherwise serene afternoon for Brighton, who led 2-0 at the break and added one more in the second half to complete the 3-0 scoreline.

For Wolves, this was another bleak outing in a difficult campaign. They were second-best from the opening whistle, unable to cope with Brighton’s sharp movement, aerial threat and authority in possession. For Brighton, meanwhile, this was exactly the sort of composed, convincing victory that keeps momentum building at the business end of the Premier League season.

Goal scorers: Jack Hinshelwood 1′, Lewis Dunk 5′, Yankuba Minteh 86′.