Enzo Maresca slams Liam Delap red card as “stupid” after Chelsea’s 4–3 Carabao Cup win over Wolves, calling the striker’s foul avoidable and careless

Enzo Maresca slams Liam Delap red card as “very stupid” after the striker’s late dismissal overshadowed Chelsea’s dramatic 4–3 Carabao Cup victory over Wolves on Wednesday night.

Also read: Arsenal Defeat Brighton to Reach Carabao Cup Quarters

Delap, returning from a 10-week hamstring injury, was introduced as a second-half substitute but lasted just 26 minutes before being shown two yellow cards in quick succession — the first for shoving Yerson Mosquera, and the second for a rash challenge on Emmanuel Agbadou.

The 22-year-old will now miss Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham, with João Pedro already a fitness doubt.

When asked whether the sending-off was deserved, Maresca did not hold back. “Absolutely, yes. Stupid foul. We can avoid that,” the Chelsea manager told BBC Sport.

The red card came amid a nervy Chelsea performance that nearly unravelled after a commanding start.

The Blues stormed into a 3-0 lead at half-time but conceded three times after the break before Jamie Gittens’ late strike sealed a breathless 4–3 win and a quarter-final clash against Cardiff City.

Maresca, visibly frustrated, criticised both his team’s defending and their growing indiscipline.

“The three goals we conceded — all of them we can avoid. Certainly, we also received a very unnecessary red card today,” he said.

“After the first yellow card, I told him [Delap] 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.”

It was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, following Maresca’s own dismissal for over-celebrating a last-minute winner against Liverpool before the international break.

Asked if he was worried about Chelsea’s wider disciplinary trend — the club has also accumulated the most yellow cards in the Premier League over the past three seasons — Maresca admitted it was “not good enough.”

“I completely understand when there are red cards like against Brighton or Manchester United — those are difficult situations. 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 yellows in five or ten minutes. Both, I think, we can avoid. So it’s not good.”

Also read: Arsenal Defeat Brighton to Reach Carabao Cup Quarters

Chelsea may have survived a late scare to reach the last eight, but Maresca’s focus has already turned to curbing what he called a “self-inflicted” disciplinary issue before Saturday’s derby test.