Three draws, 28 shots, one goal from open play: Cardiff are doing everything except winning

Three draws from three leaves Cardiff 13th on 3 points, and the Sheffield United game showed exactly why that undersells the start. Cardiff had 67 per cent of the ball, 28 shots to 6, 12 corners to 2 and 2.27 expected goals to 1.53, against promotion favourites who had not conceded a league goal all season until the second minute.

The ratings point the same way. Joel Bagan's 7.9 was the joint-best mark on the pitch, Cian Ashford scored, assisted and laid on four key passes, and debutant Krystian Bielik won 9 duels at centre-half. Ten of the 28 shots were on target and 21 came inside the box; it took Michael Cooper's eight saves to keep the score at 2-2. A side creating at this rate does not usually stay winless long; the finishing, at roughly one goal per 14 shots, is the line that has to move.

What comes next

Wednesday brings QPR away at Loftus Road, then Portsmouth away on Saturday. Two winnable fixtures for a team the underlying numbers rate far higher than 13th; the table tends to catch up with sides who shoot 28 times a game, in one direction or the other.