Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Liam Delap’s red card against Wolves was “very stupid” and “embarrassing”.
Delap returned from a hamstring injury as a second-half substitute in the Carabao Cup fourth round match at Molineux, but within 25 minutes he was shown a second yellow card and sent off.
The striker, making his first appearance since August 30, was booked in the 79th minute for shoving Jerson Mosquera in an off-the-ball accident, and just seven minutes later he delivered a diving elbow on Emmanuel Agbadu.
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Enzo Maresca says Liam Delap’s two yellow cards in seven minutes against Wolves was ‘stupid’
It was Chelsea’s fifth red card of the season, with Maresca saying: “It was a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary.
“Of course it was. It was a stupid foul. We can avoid it. I fully support the red card.”
The Chelsea manager was particularly displeased with the fact that he warned the player, who will miss Saturday’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, live on Sky Sports.
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Highlights of the Carabao Cup 4th round match between Wolves and Chelsea
“After he got the yellow card, I told him four or five times to calm down. But Liam is a player who plays for himself on the pitch and struggles to listen to what others think.”
Asked if Chelsea’s disciplinary action was embarrassing, Maresca added: “A red card like today is embarrassing. Two in seven minutes is embarrassing, but both are avoidable.”
Chelsea narrowed the gap to take a 3-2 lead in the first half after the visitors’ Andrej Santos, Tyrik George and Estevao scored, before Delap was sent off for goals from Wolves’ Tolu Alokodere and David Moeller-Wolf.
A stunning volley from Jamie Gittens in the 89th minute seemed to seal victory for the Maresca team, but Wolff quickly scored his second goal of the night, setting up a frenetic finish.
