Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder knew exactly the challenge his side were facing when Wolverhampton Wanderers arrived at Bramall Lane.

Speaking after Wolves defeated the Blades through a stoppage-time goal, with every player involved in that move having begun the game on the visitors’ bench, Wilder told reporters more than once that his counterpart from the Black Country possesses both quality and depth in abundance.

He was correct on both fronts. On this occasion, it was Wolves’ strength in depth that proved decisive.

Wolves passed up a few openings, but the impact of substitutes Kieran Trippier, Tommy Doyle — albeit unintentionally — and Raul Jimenez provided the extra edge when it mattered most.

That added cutting edge is valuable, but Cesar Peixoto’s set-up before he turned to his bench was an even clearer sign of Wolves’ tactical point of difference in the Championship.

Jimenez’s age plays a part in Peixoto’s decisions at striker, with Wolves currently playing two or three matches most weeks. Adam Armstrong shifted from his stand-in role on the left wing to lead the line, while youngster Mateus Mane came into the side in place of the Mexican forward.

The remainder of Wolves’ midfield unit is becoming increasingly recognisable in the second tier, both in terms of their growing understanding following the sale of Joao Gomes and to those watching closely enough to spot the links that make Peixoto’s side function.

Wolves line up with three attacking midfielders behind a striker, with two central midfielders sitting deeper.

Mane and Armstrong interpret the left-sided role differently, but the rest of that rhomboid shape — the Peixoto Parallelogram — sits at the centre of Wolves’ play, regardless of whether Jimenez, Armstrong or Mane is the one operating alongside it.

Twenty-two-year-old Fer Lopez plays in the middle of that trio, with Rodrigo Gomes stationed outside him. Between them, they have been amassing goal contributions at an impressive rate. Before Wolves’ trip to South Yorkshire, Lopez had been averaging a goal or assist per match.

Andre and Marshall Munetsi had already played together 25 times in the Premier League. Given how last season unfolded for them, that record does not automatically sound encouraging.

But serving as a first-choice pairing in a side expected to win presents a different challenge, and by and large they are handling it well.

The real secret ingredient, the extra element that keeps central defenders wary, comes from the way Lopez and Munetsi combine.

Lopez drops into central areas, often deep enough to receive possession directly from Wolves’ defenders. While other teams might use that extra player simply to strengthen midfield numbers, Peixoto instead has a midfielder who sharpens the structure by making forward-style runs and creating chaos.

There are not many central midfielders in the Championship who could be described as playing on the shoulder, but Munetsi does that repeatedly, bursting forward as Lopez vacates the space.

He offers an option for passes in behind, while also being able to combine in tight areas with Mane, Lopez and the striker, with left-back Hugo Bueno also joining those moves.

That meant Japhet Tanganga and Mark McGuinness had to stay alert to stop the Zimbabwe international from causing trouble on their side of Wilder’s back three. They managed to do that on Sunday, forcing Wolves to search for another route.

One of Munetsi’s trademark bursts brought Wolves’ first Championship goal of the season, although Blackburn Rovers left so much room in their own half at Molineux that it could easily have looked like an opportunistic move rather than a rehearsed pattern.

The Wolves head coach appears to have more ideas developing as the campaign resumes after the international break. Following the victory over Sheffield United, Peixoto spoke about substitute Jordan James, the former Birmingham City midfielder who is on loan from Rennes, and said he views him as genuine competition for Munetsi in the best possible sense.

Peixoto’s immediate attention is on Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Everton, but the Wolves supporters behind the goal into which Jimenez steered the winner at Bramall Lane made it clear at full time that this victory represented more than merely a climb back up the Championship standings.

Seven days after the success in Sheffield, Molineux will stage the Black Country derby against West Bromwich Albion. Forget the idea of turning one point into three. The fans have already fixed their eyes on an entirely different Sunday.