Maresca Blasts Delap’s ‘Stupid’ Red Card Despite Chelsea’s Carabao Cup Win Over Wolves

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed his strong frustration following the final whistle of their 4-3 victory over Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, specifically targeting the red card received by striker Liam Delap.

Delap, who was just returning from a hamstring injury, was sent off after collecting two yellow cards within only 25 minutes of entering the match.

The Blues had established a comfortable 3-0 lead in the first half with goals scored by Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estevao Willian. Though Wolves mounted a comeback effort with two goals from David Moller and one from Tolu Arokodare, and a stunning strike by Jamie Gittens made it 4-2 before Moller’s late second proved to be a consolation.

However, Delap’s dismissal late in the game handed the hosts a temporary numerical advantage.

Maresca did not mince words when addressing the media afterward, calling the sending-off “completely unnecessary” and “stupid.”

“Today we had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary,” Maresca stated. “A stupid foul. He deserved that. It’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today. Two yellow cards in seven minutes. We can avoid both. It’s not good.”

The manager further revealed that he had specifically warned Delap to “stay calm” multiple times after the first booking, but the player struggled, saying, “When he is on the pitch, he sometimes plays the game for himself and struggles to see the others around him.”

As a consequence of the two bookings, Delap will be suspended for Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday.