Enzo Maresca Slams Chelsea Star Liam Delap After “Stupid” Red Card Against Wolves
- Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca could not contain his fury at striker Liam Delap over his red card against Wolves
- The FIFA world champions edged out Wolves 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller to progress to the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup
- Delap returned to action after two months out injured and was sent off for two bookable offences within seven minutes
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was utterly displeased and branded striker Liam Delap stupid after another red card for the world champions.
The FIFA world champions beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 in an entertaining fixture at Molineux Stadium to progress to the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Cardiff City.
Source: Getty Images
Chelsea had a near-perfect first half, racing to a three-nil lead thanks to goals from youngsters Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estevao Willian.
The second half was a completely different match. Wolves dominated and scored three goals, and Jamie Gittens’ incredible volley saved Chelsea.
Liam Delap returned from a two-month hamstring injury and was introduced in the 61st minute, but lasted 25 minutes on the pitch before he was sent off.
The English striker was shown a red card after two bookable offences, including dissent and a reckless challenge when he was already on a yellow card.
As noted by The Athletic, that's Chelsea’s sixth red card in their last nine matches, five for the players and Enzo Maresca for his wild celebration against Liverpool.
Enzo Maresca slams Liam Delap
Chelsea boss Maresca was visibly displeased and he did not hold back his words during his post-match conference, calling the striker stupid for the red card, and admitting that he deserved it.
“We had a very stupid red card that is completely unnecessary,” he said about Delap, as quoted by Football London. “Absolutely deserved, yes.”
The Italian admitted that of all the red cards his players have received this season, he could understand Robert Sanchez against Manchester United and Trevoh Chalobah against Brighton.
He added that Delap’s against Wolves and Malo Gusto's against Nottingham Forest, both of which were two yellow cards, could have been avoided.
Maresca justified his rage at the former Ipswich Town striker by claiming he warned him multiple times on the touchline after the first yellow card.
Source: Getty Images
“After the yellow card, I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he's inside the pitch, probably he'll be playing the game for himself, and he struggles to realise and to listen around him,” he added.
Chelsea will be without the striker when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Tottenham in a London derby this weekend.
Maresca slammed Chelsea players after Forest win
Legit.ng previously reported that Enzo Maresca slammed his Chelsea players after keeping their red card streak against Nottingham Forest.
The Blues won 3-0, which consequently led to Ange Postecoglou's dismissal, but finished the match with 10 men after Malo Gusto’s red card.
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Source: Legit.ng
