Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left fuming after Liam Delap’s red card almost derailed the Blues’ wild 4-3 victory over Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Liam Delap, making his comeback after ten weeks out with a hamstring injury, came off the bench only to get sent off 26 minutes later.
The 22-year-old picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, the first for shoving Yerson Mosquera and the second for a late challenge on Emmanuel Agbadou.
When asked if Delap deserved to be sent off, Maresca didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely, yes. Stupid foul. We can avoid that,” he told reporters after the match.
Chelsea had stormed into a 3-0 lead at halftime, but the second half turned into a nightmare. Wolves struck three times to level the game before Jamie Gittens’ stunning late goal rescued the Blues and sent them through to the quarter-finals, where they will face Cardiff City.
Maresca admitted he was frustrated by how his side almost threw away the result. “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 added that he had repeatedly warned Delap to keep his cool. He said, “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 suspension means he will miss Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham, leaving Maresca short of attacking options with João Pedro still doubtful due to injury.
The dismissal was Chelsea’s sixth red card in their last nine matches, adding to growing concerns over the team’s discipline. Maresca himself was sent off earlier this month for celebrating a last-minute winner against Liverpool.
Asked if Chelsea have a wider problem with control, the Italian didn’t shy away from the issue. “I completely understand when there are red cards like against Brighton [Trevoh Chalobah red] or Manchester United [Robert Sanchez red], that’s difficult, but the red cards against Nottingham Forest and today, both we can and have to avoid,” he said.
“It’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today because it’s two yellow cards in five or 10 minutes. Both, I think, we can avoid. So it’s not good.”
