Crystal Palace delivered a statement performance at Molineux on Saturday afternoon, sweeping aside a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers side 2-0 to underline their status as one of the Premier League’s early-season surprises. While Palace continue to fly high near the top of the table, Wolves remain rooted at the bottom, and the scale of the task facing new head coach Rob Edwards was laid bare in painful fashion.

From the first whistle, the visitors controlled the tempo. Palace could easily have taken the lead inside the opening period, with Jean-Philippe Mateta guilty of the most glaring miss after 16 minutes. Played clean through following slick combination work from Adam Wharton and Yeremy Pino, the French striker sidefooted wide with the goal at his mercy. It was a moment that summed up a first half of Palace dominance without reward.

Wolves briefly threatened after the restart, starting the second half on the front foot, but their resistance crumbled once Palace found the breakthrough. Daniel Munoz opened the scoring in opportunistic fashion, capitalising on Sam Johnstone’s committed dive as Adam Wharton’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked. The loose ball fell kindly for Munoz, who slotted into an empty net.

If the first goal was scrappy, the second was genuine quality. Yeremy Pino, excellent all afternoon, capped a superb display by curling a stunning effort from just outside the box after Wolves failed to clear their lines from a corner. It was a goal befitting a player who had buzzed around the frontline all game, making a nuisance of himself and delivering dangerous crosses.

Can anyone realistically blame Johnstone for either goal? The former Palace goalkeeper was committed for the opener, and Pino’s strike was simply unstoppable. Yet the bigger question was whether Wolves’ defensive structure could cope with Palace’s movement. On this evidence, the answer was a resounding no.

Dean Henderson had a relatively quiet afternoon in the Palace goal, though he produced a strange low save to deny Joao Gomes from a free-kick that went low around the wall. Chris Richards, Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix were rarely troubled, with Guehi recovering from an early booking to remain a steady presence.

In midfield, Adam Wharton was the heartbeat of the Eagles. The England international was involved in everything, both attacking and defensively, sweeping up on more than one occasion. Daichi Kamada delivered a solid if unspectacular display, while Tyrick Mitchell went about his business without hitting his usual heights.

For Wolves, Marshall Munetsi looked most likely to get things going, but even he was hooked after the Palace opener. Andre showed flashes, but too many of his teammates were anonymous. Jørgen Strand Larsen slashed an early shot wide and linked up once with Tolu Arokodare, whose poor pass to Munetsi spurned a big chance at the start of the second half.

The player ratings told their own story. Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino each earned a 9, while Wharton was rewarded with an 8. In contrast, six Wolves starters received a 4 or below. Such a gulf in individual performances reflected the match as a whole.

Here is a closer look at the standout ratings:

Several Wolves defenders struggled with Palace’s formidable frontline. Ladislav Krejčí, Toti Gomes, David Møller Wolfe and Joao Gomes all found it difficult to stem the tide, with Pino, Ismaila Sarr and Mateta regularly finding holes in the three-man defence.

Substitutes on both sides had little chance to change the game. Hwang Hee-chan, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Jhon Arias could not alter the result for Wolves, while Eddie Nketiah curled a late effort just wide for Palace. Jefferson Lerma, Justin Devenny, Jaydee Canvot and Will Hughes all featured in the closing stages as the visitors ran down the clock.

What does this result mean for both clubs? For Crystal Palace, it was further proof that their lofty position is no fluke. With Wharton pulling the strings, Pino in sparkling form and a defence led by Guehi, the Eagles look capable of sustaining a challenge near the top of the table.

For Wolves, the picture is far bleaker. Rob Edwards has inherited a side low on confidence and short on cohesion. The stats and performances at Molineux offered little encouragement. If Wolves are to climb out of trouble, they will need far more intensity, inventiveness and defensive solidity than they showed against Palace. Otherwise, the relegation fight could become a season-long ordeal.

Palace will aim to build on this victory when they return to action, while Wolves face an urgent search for answers. On this evidence, the contrast between the two sides could hardly be starker.