Cardiff City

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Cardiff City's unbeaten 2026 came to an end in dramatic style on Saturday, as they were thumped 5-2 away at a resurgent Plymouth Argyle.

Defeat for the Bluebirds ended a run of 12 games unbeaten in League One, and saw their lead at the top of the table reduced to one point after Lincoln City's win at Mansfield.

Brian Barry-Murphy's side still hold an 11-point advantage over Bolton Wanderers in third, though Stockport have a game in hand over Cardiff and are just two points further adrift in fourth.

While Cardiff are still in control of their own destiny with a healthy cushion over the play-off places, the manner of Saturday's defeat at Home Park has left some fans concerned.

But are you concerned? Is this the start of a difficult period for Cardiff? Or is this just a small bump in what has - for the most part - been a smooth ride back to the Championship for the Bluebirds?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Cardiff City will remain calm despite having their League One promotion push dented by a heavy defeat at Plymouth Argyle, says Bluebirds head coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

Cardiff were beaten 5-2 at Home Park on Saturday, their first loss of 2026 after a run of 12 games unbeaten.

It was an eventful game, with Argyle leading 3-2 at half-time before eventually making sure of victory after the break, despite having as little as 25% possession at times.

Cardiff remain top of the table, but could have their four-point lead at the summit cut when second-place Lincoln City visit Mansfield Town later on Saturday.

"It's a very disappointing result for us, naturally, but we have to take it on the chin," said Barry-Murphy.

"We controlled the game in the early exchanges, but we weren't at our best and, when Plymouth broke, they looked dangerous.

"We needed to be better. Our mindset was to push forward at all times but when the penalty came it was difficult for the players. No issue with the players' attitude whatsoever.

"Well done to Plymouth and good luck to them. They're a powerful team and put the ball into forward areas very quickly. They scored from two breakaways when we looked like scoring. We didn't deal with that well enough and that's ultimately what cost us the game."

Next up for Cardiff is a trip to Doncaster Rovers next Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Doncaster have struggled this season, but won at Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United this weekend.

"We'll work as we always do and try to bounce back. Our focus is always the next game and to remain consistent," Barry-Murphy added.

"The players have been very calm all season. They don't get carried away when we're doing well and they won't get carried away when it hasn't gone our way.

"The players have not been affected by doing well. They've remained very humble when we win and it will be the same after a loss."

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Plymouth Argyle midfielder Joe Ralls will miss his reunion with former club Cardiff City after picking up a hamstring injury against Luton Town in January.

The 32-year-old will require surgery on the injured leg which will leave him on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

The former Cardiff captain joined Argyle as a free agent in November, having made 409 appearances across his nine seasons for the Bluebirds.

"The injury Joe suffered was right on the borderline of conservative rehab and surgical rehab," said Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley.

"Now we've come to the conclusion that Joe will go for surgery and unfortunately it looks like he's played his last game this season for the club."

Meanwhile, for Cardiff centre-back Gabriel Osho should be available for Saturday's League One trip to Plymouth Argyle (12:30 GMT) after missing Tuesday's 4-1 win over AFC Wimbledon, but forward Isaak Davies remains a doubt following concussion.

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Cardiff City's home fixture with Blackpool has been switched to a lunchtime kick-off.

The game has been selected for television coverage meaning it will now move to a 12:30 (GMT) start on Saturday, 21 March.

The Bluebirds - currently top of League One - will be looking to avoid a second defeat by the Seasiders this season having been beaten 3-1 at Bloomfield Road in November.

Blackpool are two points outside the relegation zone having struggled for form all season. They sacked Steve Bruce in October and replaced the former Newcastle boss with Ian Evatt, someone who was linked with the Cardiff vacancy last summer before Brian Barry-Murphy's appointment.

It is the second of Cardiff's March fixtures to be moved with the Bluebirds' home encounter with promotion rivals Lincoln City, also a 12:30 (GMT) kick-off, on Saturday, 7 March.

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Brian Barry-Murphy insists that his side will "have to be at their best" ahead of their trip down south on Saturday (12:30 GMT) to take on Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.

Cardiff are currently sitting pretty with a four-point cushion at the top of League One and 26 clear of Saturday's opponents, who occupy 12th spot.

Both sides were relegated from the Championship last year, but Plymouth have struggled to adjust to life in the third tier.

Still, Barry-Murphy insists that it is not a task to be taken lightly.

The Bluebirds boss said: "I think it's easy to forget where they came from last season.

"They were probably viewed as being a better team than ourselves at the start of the season."

The Pilgrims have had a recent upturn in results with back-to-back wins, and Barry-Murphy added: "They're back in flying form and making great strides.

"It's been very clear how well they've started games and the type of football they've played has been very good."

The Irishman emphasised the importance of Home Park, a notoriously tough place to visit.

"It'll be a great test for us. More often than not it's a really good playing pitch, so looking forward to that and trying our best to play with the intensity that we know will be needed to be competitive," Barry-Murphy said.

Cardiff were victorious in the reverse fixture, securing a 4-0 win at home back in August.

A 12-game unbeaten run has everyone in high-spirits, and the pressure of the run-in is not something that weighs on the head coach's mind.

"I know it's only February, but everywhere you look people are talking about the business end of the season," said Barry-Murphy

"When you look at your players, how do you think they're coping with a challenge? 12 games unbeaten seems like a pretty good indicator.

"If you get ahead of yourself, you saw what happened, Arsenal go to Wolves in what's perceived to be a straightforward game, and before you know it, it's not.

"We have to be focused on today and then see where we are on Saturday."

Dylan MacIsaac
BBC Sport Wales

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Cardiff City defender Will Fish has made his mark in the starting team for much of this season, but faces fierce competition for his spot.

The Bluebirds are blessed with four starting-quality centre-backs, but their system means there is only room for two to get the nod each game.

The former Manchester United man has played the most minutes this season of a group that also contains Calum Chambers, Gabriel Osho and Dylan Lawlor.

Despite phases out of the side, Fish was complimentary of the way that head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has gone about his rotation of the squad.

"We've got four really good players competing for two spots usually," said Fish.

"I think it's healthy competition, we've got four players who get on so there's no bad blood.

"I think he [Barry-Murphy] has done it perfectly. There are times where you might be annoyed that you came out of the team after winning, but I think long-term he obviously knows what he's doing, and the plan he's got in place is working at the minute so why change it?"

Cardiff's squad is littered with young talent, but the experience in the camp has proved key for a brilliant season that sees them four points clear at the top of League One.

Barry-Murphy has rotated his centre-backs, with each one of the four impressing when they have been selected.

"It's not something that we planned or consciously looked to do; it's just purely based on the form of all those players," the Irishman said.

"It's not straightforward. I think it becomes very straightforward if one or more are not performing.

"We saw from the very start of the season that Dylan and Will did such a great job.

"There's been different times where different members of that four have not played but they've all reacted in exactly the right manner.

"It's very competitive and that's the way it has to be."

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Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

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Cardiff City striker Yousef Salech is back in training following his neck injury, but head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has warned his return will need to be carefully managed.

Salech damaged ligaments in his neck during the League One leaders' 1-1 draw with Stockport on 24 January.

The 24-year-old had a hospital scan to determine the severity of the injury and, although it was determined to be not serious, it has kept him out of training until this week.

Having said last weekend Salech was "not close" to a return, Barry-Murphy said on Thursday: "He's back on the pitch today doing some running and then to see how he progresses from there before he re-enters training with the team.

"It's step by step and we're still keen not to put any timescales on it, due to the nature of what he's gone through and what he likely will experience in his return to play.

"He's in really good spirits. If the running goes well today and continues next week, at some stage he re-enters into training with the team, things can progress pretty quickly."

Meanwhile, centre-back Gabriel Osho should be available for Saturday's League One trip to Plymouth Argyle (12:30 GMT) after missing Tuesday's 4-1 win over AFC Wimbledon, but forward Isaak Davies remains a doubt following concussion.

"We anticipate both will train this afternoon," said Barry-Murphy.

"In Gabriel's case, it should be pretty straightforward. Isaak less so, just going to see how he reacts to his first exposure with the team and take it from there."

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Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy says Joel Colwill is "just as valuable" as older brother Rubin and he is "very grateful" to have them both in his squad.

Rubin was one of the Bluebirds' standout players at the beginning of the season with three goals and three assists in 17 appearances before sustaining an ankle injury in November.

In his absence, Joel has enjoyed a rich vein of form, notching up three goals and an assist in his last six matches.

"Rubin's done really well to get back fit, but Joel is making huge strides in his own right," said Barry-Murphy.

"He [Joel] has a hunger that you can almost touch and feel every day. He has an insatiable appetite to improve, he loves the game, he loves the team he's playing for.

"You can feel it in the way that he trains he's very competitive, very competitive against his brother, very competitive against his team-mates and very competitive against the opponents.

"He's a serious player and somebody that we're very grateful to have. I don't think there's any ceiling because he wants to improve so much and he has a lot of room for improvement in the things that he's improving on."

Joel had gone under the radar before this season, with Rubin touted a star of the future when he broke into the Bluebirds' senior side aged 18 before making his Wales debut the following year.

Joel believes they can bring out the best in one another.

"The way his career has gone has pushed me to be the best I can be," he said.

"It's always been a competitive rivalry; we both push each other as much as we can."

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Iwan Roberts believes Cardiff City could be celebrating automatic promotion into the Championship by early April as their impressive run continued against Wimbledon.

Joel Colwill, Perry Ng, Ollie Tanner and Omari Kellyman all netted as the Bluebirds beat Johnnie Jackson's side 4-1 at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night.

Victory extended Cardiff's unbeaten league run to 12 matches and leaves Brian Barry-Murphy's side - currently top of the League One table - 12 points clear of third-placed Bolton Wanderers.

"They've had two games at Cardiff City Stadium in the last four days, they won both and scored seven goals," former Wales striker Roberts told BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast.

"They've won 11 of their last 12 games at Cardiff City Stadium.

"By the start of April or around Easter, Cardiff will be celebrating automatic promotion back into the Championship."

Cardiff have averaged 2.53 points per game at home in the league so far this season, the best return of any side in the division, having won 14 of their 17 League One fixtures in the Welsh capital.

Barry-Murphy's men are averaging 2.47 goals per game on home soil having scored 42 times at Cardiff City Stadium in League One this term.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

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Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy named a matchday squad without a substitute goalkeeper for the second time in four matches as the Bluebirds claimed a convincing 4-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night.

The bold selection choice echoes a tactic occasionally used by former Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock during his time at Sheffield United, though during Warnock's tenure between 1999 and 2007 clubs were permitted only five substitutes rather than today's nine.

Barry-Murphy, however, insists his decision stems from the intense competition in his squad.

"The competition within the squad is so fierce," he said. "It just depends on the players who start the game. If I feel we're likely to need several changes, then sometimes it's important to have more outfield options."

January signing Harry Tyrer, who arrived from Everton on a permanent deal, has yet to make his Cardiff debut.

Despite being eligible for six matches, he has only featured on the bench four times.

Tyrer's first omission came in Cardiff's 3–0 win at Rotherham on 7 February, when Barry-Murphy also chose to go without a back-up goalkeeper.

In the event of an emergency, Perry Ng appears the most likely makeshift option between the posts, having played there during Cardiff's game against Rotherham in 2023 when goalkeeper Ryan Allsop was dismissed.

In his five minutes as Cardiff stopper, Ng did claim a clean sheet, but Barry-Murphy hopes not to "cross that bridge" anytime soon.

The head coach emphasised his preference is always to include a keeper, but squad management sometimes requires flexibility.

"Ideally, we would have a goalkeeper on the bench. We've previously had Harry available. But depending on the specific game, if we think we have players who probably won't go the distance, and enough of them, then we go with seven outfield players.

"It's not something I want to do regularly, but we have a very competitive squad. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

He added: "The players on the pitch feel the pressure of who's on the bench. Cian Ashford has been flying and pushing hard to play. Ronan Kpakio is the same.

"Rubin (Colwill) is back fit now. All of them know they have to produce because the competition is so fierce, that's a huge driving factor in itself."

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales

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Cardiff City winger Ollie Tanner says his excellent recent performances are his way of repaying head coach Brian Barry-Murphy for supporting him during his time out injured.

Tanner, 23, missed more than four months of action following an ankle injury he sustained in August.

He has been in a rich vein of form since returning, with eight assists in his past seven games, double the total of assists he had managed during the previous three seasons.

Tanner also scored his first goal of this campaign during Tuesday's 4-1 win over AFC Wimbledon, which maintained Cardiff's four-point lead at the top of League One.

"I've not had that sort of period out before, so I was itching to get back," said Tanner.

"Brian was so good when I was out, so it's just nice to repay him and everything he's done for me and the staff over those four months."

Asked what he believed was behind his upturn in form, Tanner added: "Just working hard on the training pitch, watching clips about where I can be, where I can put the ball for crosses and ultimately just getting in the box and getting in better positions.

"The staff helping me, I can't thank them enough for what they've done and it's nice to repay them with numbers.

"I don't want to settle for what I've got. I want more assists, more goals to help the team and to extend our lead at the top."

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Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says top scorer Yousef Salech is "not close" to a return from injury.

Salech damaged ligaments in his neck during Cardiff's 1-1 draw with Stockport on 24 January.

The 24-year-old had a hospital scan to determine the severity of his neck injury, and while it was determined to be not serious it has kept him out of training since.

Asked after Cardiff's 3-1 win over Luton whether a return was near, Barry-Murphy said: "He's not close.

"Yousef was here today, but he hasn't rejoined the team for training yet, until he does that we won't really have a time scale.

"With an injury of that nature you have to be really patient to make sure his neck and surrounding areas are ready.

"At the moment he's not ready."

Salech's absence has not slowed the Bluebirds down, with Saturday's win over Luton moving them four points clear at the top of League One.

Cardiff have also not seen a drop in the number of goals scored, with the Bluebirds scoring two or more goals in each of their four games since.

Barry-Murphy's side are back in action on Tuesday evening against AFC Wimbledon (19:45 GMT), as they look to continue their unbeaten run of 11 League One games and 11 home games.

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Perry Ng's ability to score spectacular goals had only been experienced through stories for Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

That was until Saturday afternoon's win over Luton Town, when the Cardiff right-back unleashed a 25-yard strike into the roof of the net.

The goal, Cardiff's third of the game, was not the first strike of quality that Ng has scored for the Bluebirds, but it was the first under Barry-Murphy.

"Perry is capable of producing a finish like he did today - so I'm told from previous seasons - so I'm glad to see it in the flesh," said Barry-Murphy.

"I thought there was a pass on to Ollie Tanner, luckily he listened to the supporters and shot!"

A knee injury during pre-season meant Ng, who joined Cardiff in January 2021, had to start the season behind Ronan Kpakio in the pecking order.

But the 29-year-old has wrestled back control of the right-back position, with Barry-Murphy admitting Ng's form has resulted in less game time for Kpakio than he would have liked.

"Ronan Kpakio had been doing exceptionally well in Ng's absence," said Barry-Murphy.

"It is a concern of mine that I haven't been able to play Ronan as much as I would have liked to because of the form of Perry, but that's the stage of the season we're in."

Victory over Luton took the Bluebirds four points clear at the top of League One, as their bid for an automatic return to the Championship took another step in the right direction.

David Turnbull and Joel Colwill opened the scoring before Ng's pick of the bunch.

And Colwill - who has come through the academy at the club - says he was "not surprised" to see Ng's effort hit the back of the net.

"I was stood just behind it and as soon as he hit it I thought it had a chance," said Colwill.

"We've all seen Perry strike a good ball, he's scored some really good goals over the years.

"Everyone who has been at the club a while knows he can do that, and I'm not surprised by it really."

Philip Marsh
BBC Sport Wales

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Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says he is "over the moon" with his side's performance in their 3-1 win over Luton Town.

First-half goals from David Turnbull, Joel Colwill and Perry Ng set the tone for what was an excellent afternoon for the Bluebirds.

Cardiff's win, coupled with Lincoln City's 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers, means Barry-Murphy's side are now four points clear at the top of League One, and 10 points above third place.

"I'm over the moon with the performance," said Barry-Murphy.

"We started the game with great intensity, created good chances and scored enough of them to win the game.

"Against a team of this calibre we knew we had to be at our best and really pleasingly we were."

Cardiff limited Luton to just one shot on target, which came from the penalty spot after 20 minutes to level the game.

Otherwise it was an assured performance from the league leaders, who carved out 18 chances of their own and on another day could have added to their tally.

But for all their attacking prowess, it was the way Cardiff limited Luton that impressed Barry-Murphy.

"All the lads at the back were really concentrated against a team who are dangerous," he said.

"They can create and score goals, so I'm really pleased with how little we conceded against them.

"We gave them nothing in terms of momentum or attempts on goal. That was as pleasing as anything about the performance today."