Maresca slams 'embarrassing' Chelsea red card
Enzo Maresca slammed Chelsea's "embarrassing" disciplinary record after Liam Delap was sent off in its action-packed 4-3 Carabao Cup round-of-16 win over Wolves.
Tolu Arokodare and David Moller Wolfe pulled Wolves back into the match before Delap's sending-off for a second bookable offence, just 25 minutes after his return. Jamie Gittens secured the win for Chelsea, though, despite Wolfe's late second.
Chelsea, which will travel to Cardiff City in the quarter-finals, became the first Premier League side to have four different scorers aged 21 or younger in a match in all competitions with this victory.
However, the Blues have now had five players sent off in their last nine matches in all competitions, with their six red cards the most of any Premier League side (Liverpool second with two).
Maresca was less than impressed with the early ending to Delap's cameo, especially with Chelsea struggling for balance in the second half.
"Very happy first half, very upset second half," Maresca said. "This is the analysis and my personal view of the game.
"I think first half we were very, very good. It's always complicated to go away and score three goals. We were playing nice forward, great chances.
"We didn't concede nothing, and second half, we were not doing the right things. Probably the first goal we conceded opened a little bit the game, gave them the boost, the energy to come back in the game.
"And then the three goals we conceded, I think all of them we can avoid, and for sure, also we had a very stupid red card that is completely unnecessary.
"I completely understand when there are red cards, like Brighton or Man United, that is difficult, but red card against Nottingham Forest and red card [for Delap], both we can avoid that. And we have to avoid that.
"It's embarrassing when it's a red card like [against Wolves]. Because it's two yellow cards in five minutes, 10 minutes, I don't know, seven minutes. Both, I think we can avoid that. So it's not good."
However, after failing to test Filip Jorgensen before the break, Wolves showed their threat in the second half, having nine efforts to Chelsea's three, though again, they conceded the only attempt on target they faced.
Wolves were booed off at half-time at Molineux, but were applauded at the full-time whistle despite the result, and Vitor Pereira acknowledged that they just need to get that first win over the line.
"This is maybe one of the best groups of players in my career, with spirit and character, to try to change the situation," he said. "When you change 11 players from the last game, you take the risk.
"This was my responsibility because I decided to do it. I wanted to give opportunities to players that deserved the opportunity. It is very difficult for a team to come back from losing 3-0 to show what they did in the second half.
"We showed the supporters we can do it again. We just need a win to believe and move on. We won the second half 3-1, but it was a pity they got that goal.
"I don't have any doubts that we can do it [stay up] and turn around the situation by the end of the season."
