Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has criticised forward Liam Delap after the striker was shown a red card during the club’s dramatic 4–3 Carabao Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Delap, who was returning from a 10-week lay-off due to a hamstring injury, was sent off just 26 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
According to BBC Sport, the 22-year-old first received a yellow card for pushing Yerson Mosquera, before being booked again for barging Emmanuel Agbadou. His dismissal means he will miss Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham, at a time when João Pedro is already a doubt due to fitness concerns.
Asked whether the sending-off was justified, Maresca did not hold back.
“Absolutely, yes. Stupid foul. We can avoid that,” he said.
The red card came amid a turbulent second half for Chelsea. The Blues had gone into the break leading 3–0, but Wolves mounted a comeback, scoring three times. Jamie Gittens’ late effort eventually secured Chelsea’s place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Cardiff City.
Reflecting on the performance, Maresca expressed frustration with both the defensive collapse and Delap’s indiscipline.
“The three goals we conceded, I think all of them we can avoid. Certainly, we also received a very unnecessary red card today,” he said.
He revealed that he had repeatedly warned Delap to remain calm.
“After the first yellow card, I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he’s on the pitch, is probably playing the game for himself and struggles to realise and listen to those around him.”
Delap’s dismissal is Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine matches — a statistic that has prompted questions regarding discipline under Maresca.
The Italian acknowledged the issue.
“It’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today because it’s two yellow cards in five or ten minutes. Both, I think, we can avoid. So it’s not good,” he said.
Chelsea will now look to correct their discipline problems ahead of their crucial clash with London rivals Tottenham at the weekend.
