Chelsea advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, yet the game was overshadowed by disciplinary issues when striker Liam Delap was sent off.
(The Guardian)
Delap, making his first appearance since a lengthy hamstring injury, came on as a substitute but lasted only around 25 minutes before collecting two yellow cards within seven minutes. The first booking came for pushing Yerson Mosquera in the 79th minute, and the second followed in the 86th after a reckless aerial challenge on Emmanuel Agbadou. (Sports Mole)
After the match, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca did not mince words:
“For today we have a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary… Absolutely yes, it was a stupid foul.” (Reuters)
He added:
“It’s embarrassing when it is a red card like today. Two yellow cards in seven minutes. Both I think we can avoid.” (ESPN.com)
Maresca revealed he had warned Delap “four or five times” to keep calm after the first booking, but felt the striker “plays the game for himself and struggles to listen around him.” (SI)
Key Points
Chelsea raced to a 3-0 lead by halftime thanks to goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estêvão, but Wolves came storming back with three second-half goals to pose a real threat. (The Guardian)
Despite the sending-off, Chelsea held on and secured their place in the next round of the competition.
The incident extends Chelsea’s worrying disciplinary record: the club has now received six red cards in their last nine matches across competitions. (ESPN.com)
Delap will miss Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur due to his suspension.
What It Means
While the victory will be welcomed, the red card casts a shadow. Chelsea’s young squad is being urged to mature, and Maresca made it clear this type of avoidable error will not be tolerated moving forward.
“This squad needs to grow up, to make experience to get better,” Maresca said. (The Guardian)
If Chelsea are to challenge on multiple fronts this season, maintaining discipline and reacting positively from this warning will be crucial.
