Chelsea Manager Criticizes Liam Delap's Red Card in Carabao Cup Victory
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has criticized Liam Delap's red card during the 4-3 Carabao Cup victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers, labeling it as "very stupid" and expressing concern over the team's increasing number of dismissals this season, which he described as "embarrassing."
Delap, who had just returned from a 10-week recovery from a hamstring injury, was sent off only 26 minutes after being substituted into the match. His dismissal followed two fouls committed within a span of seven minutes, where he pushed Yerson Mosquera and collided with Emmanuel Agbadou.
The 22-year-old striker will be unavailable for Chelsea's upcoming match against London rivals Tottenham, adding to the team's injury concerns, particularly regarding fellow forward Joao Pedro.
When asked if Delap deserved the red card, Maresca responded, "Absolutely, yes. It was a stupid foul. We can avoid that."
The red card contributed to a broader collapse for Chelsea, who initially led 3-0 at halftime. However, Wolves managed to equalize after the break, with Jamie Gittens scoring a sensational late goal that ultimately secured Chelsea's place in the quarter-finals against Cardiff City.
Maresca remarked, "The three goals we conceded were all avoidable. Today, we also had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary. After the first yellow card, I reminded him [Delap] four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who tends to focus on his own game and struggles to listen to those around him."
This incident marked Chelsea's sixth red card in just nine matches, which includes Maresca's own dismissal for celebrating a last-minute winner against Liverpool prior to the international break.
When questioned about the team's overall discipline issues, especially given Chelsea's record of receiving the highest number of yellow cards in the Premier League over the past three seasons, Maresca acknowledged the need for improvement. He stated, "I understand the red cards against Brighton [Trevoh Chalobah] or Manchester United [Robert Sanchez] are difficult to avoid. However, the red cards against Nottingham Forest and today are both situations we can and must avoid. It's embarrassing when a player receives a red card like today, as it results from two yellow cards in a matter of minutes. Both were avoidable, so it's not good."