The little things amplified the differences. On the touchline, as the goals rained in, a posse of six men in black coats gathered in a group hug and bounced in celebration.
At the final whistle, the players who had secured three points made their way to the away section, followed by the substitutes and coaching staff, and stood to applaud the visiting fans; the manager provided the final flourish with three elaborate fist pumps that were wildly cheered.
Here were Wolverhampton Wanderers, a club united and working towards a clear vision. They are only 25 games out of the Championship and still have rough edges, but they have started a journey and everybody knows the direction in which they are heading.