Enzo Maresca slammed Liam Delap for his “very stupid red card” after Chelsea’s chaotic 4-3 Carabao Cup win over Wolves, warning his young side they must “grow up.”
Chelsea led 3-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estêvão, before Jamie Gittens added a stunning fourth. But Wolves nearly pulled off a comeback, with Tolu Arokodare scoring and David Møller Wolfe netting twice to make it a tense finish.
Delap, returning from injury, was sent off just 20 minutes after coming on, collecting two yellows for reckless challenges. “It’s embarrassing,” Maresca said. “After the first yellow I told him to stay calm four or five times, but he just doesn’t listen.”
The dismissal was Chelsea’s sixth in nine games, adding to Maresca’s own red card last week. The manager admitted his side panicked after Wolves’ first goal: “It’s part of the journey — we need to grow up.”
Despite the drama, Chelsea booked a quarter-final date with Cardiff, while Wolves manager Vítor Pereira praised his team’s fightback, saying: “We showed spirit and quality. We just need one win to believe again.”
