Chelsea’s Maresca slams Delap for ‘stupid’ red card

WOLVERHAMPTON, England – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca condemned forward Liam Delap’s dismissal as “stupid” and “embarrassing” after the striker was sent off in the club’s 4-3 Carabao Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday.

Delap, making his first appearance since August, was shown two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute at Molineux. The 21-year-old was booked for hauling down Yerson Mosquera before receiving a second caution for a reckless aerial challenge on Emmanuel Agbadou.

“It was a very stupid red card, completely unnecessary,” Maresca told reporters post-match. “After the first yellow, I told him four or five times to keep calm, but he struggled to listen. It’s embarrassing—two yellow cards in seven minutes. Both avoidable.”

The incident marked Chelsea’s sixth red card in their last nine matches across all competitions, a statistic Maresca described as “unacceptable” as he urged his players to show greater discipline. Delap will now miss the Blues’ weekend Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea had earlier looked in full control, racing to a 3-0 lead before halftime with goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estêvão. However, a spirited Wolves comeback saw Tolu Arokodare and David Moller Wolfe narrow the deficit, and despite Jamie Gittens restoring Chelsea’s cushion late on, Wolfe’s second goal in stoppage time ensured a tense finish.

For Wolves, the defeat was another setback in a difficult campaign, though manager Vitor Pereira took encouragement from his side’s response after the interval.

“We showed to ourselves and to the supporters that together we can do it again,” Pereira said. “If we play with that energy and belief, we can compete with anyone in this league.”

Chelsea’s victory sends them through to the quarterfinals of the competition, but Maresca’s focus will be on tightening discipline within his squad as he continues to reshape the team’s identity in his first season in charge.