Enzo Maresca didn’t hold back after Chelsea’s chaotic Carabao Cup win over Wolves, labelling Liam Delap’s dismissal “very stupid” and urging his young team to “grow up.”
Chelsea led 3-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, and Estêvão, but Wolves fought back after the break through Tolu Arokodare and a David Møller Wolfe brace, making it a nervy finish before Jamie Gittens sealed a 4-3 victory.
Delap, returning from injury, was sent off after two rash challenges in seven minutes — a decision that infuriated Maresca. “After the first yellow, I told him four or five times to keep calm,” the Chelsea boss said. “But he plays his own game and doesn’t listen. It’s embarrassing.”
The win sends Chelsea into the quarter-finals, but Maresca admitted his team panicked under pressure: “It’s part of the journey — this team has to mature.”
Wolves, meanwhile, earned praise from manager Vítor Pereira for their spirited fightback. “This is one of the best groups I’ve coached,” he said. “If we keep that spirit, we’ll turn our season around.”
