The race for the Premier League seems to have boiled down to Wolves plus one of Cardiff City or Fulham, following a dramatic weekend of action at the top of the Championship.

Aston Villa are still mathematically in the mix, but their 3-1 defeat at Norwich means they could only reach a maximum of 88 points - and it is highly unlikely that will be enough for second place.

Many Bluebirds fans are in despair after events of the past 48 hours. Cardiff's agonising 0-1 home loss to leaders Wolves, coupled with Fulham's win at Sheffield Wednesday, has seen the gap close dramatically.

But there are still plenty of reasons for Cardiff to be optimistic as the promotion battle approaches crunch point.

Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from a weekend of twists and turns...

THE GOOD

Almost 27,000 fans came to watch Cardiff City

A huge Cardiff crowd pay their tribute beforehand to Ray Wilkins

The biggest crowd for any league fixture played in Wales over the past 42 years was recorded as the Bluebirds agonisingly fell to Wolves.

Cardiff announced a gate of 29,317, the highest for a league match since 35,549 poured into Ninian Park for a 1976 Division Three promotion clash with Hereford.

There was actually a bigger attendance earlier this year when 32,339 watched the Bluebirds' 2-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester City.

But, rightly or wrong, the feeling was that a few had come to watch Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions elect for a close glimpse of Kevin de Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Vincent Kompany and the other superstars in the side.

Whether that is true or not, this time Bluebirds fans flocked to the ground for one reason - to watch and roar on their team.

Cardiff City have a huge armchair fan base they can tap into and that was evidenced by the Wolves and Man City gates.

If those penalties had been converted at the end, many of the newcomers would have been persuaded to come back again.

Hopefully they still will anyway. We've heard plenty about Cardiff City and a disconnect with their fans, but the reconnection was well and truly there again on Friday night.

It was an epic night. Just a shame about the result.

Bluebirds are still in pole position

Listening to some, you'd think the world had caved in after the weekend results.

But let's have a little perspective. There is absolutely no shame in losing to the best team in the division, which Cardiff did despite pushing big-spending Wolves to the brink.

And whilst Fulham are truly a formidable force, a wonderful footballing side who are unbeaten in 19 games, the fact remains promotion is in the Bluebirds' own hands.

They are still two points clear of Fulham and have a game in hand, albeit a difficult one at Derby. Win that and the gap would be five.

The issue for Neil Warnock is raising his players again for another daunting challenge at Aston Villa on Tuesday night. Given the magnitude of the Wolves occasion, they gave everything physically and mentally and will have been left utterly devastated by the never-seen-before finale.

How they respond is key.

But one way of doing that is to ask yourself this question: Would you rather be in Cardiff's position or Fulham's position right at this moment in time?

The prospect of a five point gap sways it Cardiff's way for me.

Gunnar is back

Aron Gunnarsson celebrates winning a penalty

Having missed four months of action, Aron Gunnarsson returned against Sheffield United and played the full game against Wolves despite being exhausted towards the end.

Cardiff need their Icelandic warrior to drive the midfield. There has been no time to ease him back, Gunnarsson has been kind of forced to get up to match sharpness straight away.

The miles in the legs from the Wolves game will hold him in good stead for Aston Villa on Tuesday night and the remaining five games after that.

Aston Villa are in a mess

Steve Bruce looks on during the 3-1 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road

Everything being equal, going to Villa Park to take on Steve Bruce's star-studded outfit should be the most difficult challenge in the division.

Villa should have won the league. Instead, they languish in fourth and automatic promotion seems to have gone as they can only reach 88 points, which won't be enough.

Villa ooze talent, but the sum of the parts does not match up. Since thumping Wolves 4-1 they have lost to Norwich, Bolton and QPR, drawn 0-0 with Hull and have a solitary win over Reading from the last five games.

The fans turned on the team after Saturday's lunchtime loss to Norwich, Steve Bruce turned on his players.

That put momentum back in Cardiff's favour a little as they head to Villa Park on Tuesday night.

A huge crowd will be expected and that should work in Villa's favour. But given the way things have gone, the unrest that has crept in as a result of Villa punching below their weight, the pressure could become over-bearing for Bruce's players.

Morrison and Bamba are brilliant

Sol Bamba looks dejected after Cardiff City lost to Wolves

Cardiff have the best defence in the division and Sean Morrison and Sol Bamba were very good again in trying circumstances against Wolves' feared front line.

Bamba will ensure the players are up for battle again at Villa Park and beyond, while Morrison has developed a special rapport with the fans.

Realising the hurt and despair they were feeling at the final whistle, he made a point of going across to them and demonstratively pointed to the badge on his shirt.

It was Morrison's way of saying 'Be proud, keep supporting, we'll be back'.

It may seem a small gesture, but in that moment Morrison lifted spirits again.

THE BAD

Those missed penalties

Dejected Junior Hoilett and Gary Madine

Can you recall a game of such drama where two spot-kicks are awarded deep into injury-time and each are spurned?

Junior Hoilett was a tad unlucky with the second of those, hitting the underside of the bar and seeing the ball bounce out.

Gary Madine was said to be distraught following his miss and he will wish he had handled the situation better.

In a situation like Friday night, huge crowd, huge game, huge stakes, if you're a right-footed centre-forward taking a penalty to equalise in the closing seconds is it not better to go with the momentum of your run, put your laces through the ball and smash the thing into the right hand corner of the goal?

Give the goalkeeper no chance.

Madine did the opposite and John Ruddy was able to spring across to his left to keep the ball out.

At least Madine had the guts to take the spot-kick. But if Cardiff do end up in the play-offs, and are involved in a penalty shoot-out, he may well revert to basics and lash it, rather than try to place the thing.

Fulham win again

Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates the winner at Sheffield Wednesday

The Cottagers are the best footballing side in the league and it's just as well for Cardiff, and everyone else, they started the campaign so slowly.

But since beating the Bluebirds 4-2 on Boxing Day, Fulham have gone on an incredible run, winning 13 and drawing four.

It is only because Cardiff have won so many games themselves that Fulham have been prevented from rampaging into the top two.

However, their 1-0 triumph at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon means the gap has been closed to two points.

They have home games with Reading and Brentford this week, whereas the Bluebirds go to Villa and Norwich.

It is not inconceivable that by the end of the next few days, Fulham will have opened up a points gap on the Bluebirds.

Paterson injury

Every player is going to be carrying a knock or three at this stage of the season, but Cardiff could have done without Callum Paterson hobbling off against Wolves.

It is unclear how bad his injury is, but Paterson has offered a new dimension to the Bluebirds since being moved to the 10 position because of his goal threat.

He was moved from there on Friday night to play deeper on right midfield, but Cardiff need the power and presence Paterson offers in the closing stages of the season.

Losing him will be a blow.

THE UGLY

The Cardiff v Wolves ending

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo angered Warnock
Wolverhampton Wanders players including goalkeeper John Ruddy and manager Nuno Espirito Santo celebrate after Cardiff missed a second penalty

The after-match talk was about two things... those missed penalties and the spat between Neil Warnock and Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Wolves boss did not win with class, as Warnock pointed out afterwards and the Cardiff manager made his views clear out on the pitch.

Some will feel the whole episode was a little unsavoury, but these are two managers who clearly care deeply and their emotions poured out at the end of an epic night.

It's time to move on.

THE REMAINING FIXTURES

Cardiff City:

Aston Villa (A)

Norwich (A)

Nottingham Forest (H)

Derby (A)

Hull (A)

Reading (H)

Warnock's men have the tougher run-in on paper, with four away games and just two at home.

They need to take something from Villa Park and Carrow Road this week to set up the final four games.

It's vitally important they are somehow still in the driving seat come the final day, when they should beat Reading at Cardif City Stadium.

It's still in Cardiff's hands.

Cardiff City have beaten Villa once this season and will look to beat them again

Fulham

Reading (H)

Brentford (H)

Millwall (A)

Sunderland (H)

Birmingham (A)

The Reading and Brentford games should represent a further six-point haul for the Cottagers. Sunderland is a shoo-in win.

Cardiff have to hope play-off chasing Millwall can do them a favour. Bluebirds fans will then be rooting for Garry Monk, believe it or not, and his Birmingham team on the final day.

Aston Villa

Cardiff City (H)

Leeds (H)

Ipswich (A)

Derby (H)

Millwall (A)

They could yet win the next four and set up a huge final day clash at Millwall, but the gap looks a little too big.

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