Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has slammed striker Liam Delap for his "very stupid" red card in Wednesday's EFL Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Blues bounced back from Saturday's Premier League defeat against Sunderland with a narrow win in the fourth-round tie against Vitor Pereira's side.
However, Chelsea were left with mixed emotions after they made the cup tie much tougher than it needed to be following a dominant first-half display, which saw them score three goals without reply.
Wolves pulled two goals back before Jamie Gittens added a fourth for Chelsea, just moments after Delap had been given his marching orders.
David Moller Wolfe netted his second of the game in stoppage time to cut Chelsea's lead to one and set up a nervy finish at Molineux.
While Delap's red did not prove costly, Maresca was less than impressed with the actions that led to the striker's dismissal on his return from injury.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca on October 29, 2025
Maresca unhappy with "very stupid" Delap red card
The 22-year-old came off the bench just after the hour mark to make his first appearance since August and picked up his first booking in the 79th minute for a push on Yerson Mosquera.
Delap collected his second yellow just seven minutes later after he jumped into Emmanuel Agbadou with his elbow, leading to the first red card of his senior career.
Maresca had no sympathy for his forward after the game, insisting the referee, Thomas Bramall, was right to brandish the two yellows and subsequent red.
"Very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary," Maresca said. "Absolutely deserved. It was a stupid foul. We can avoid that. I completely support the red card.
"After the yellow card, I told him four or five times, keep calm. But Liam is a player inside the pitch, playing the game for himself, and he struggles to listen to things around him."
Chelsea's Liam Delap speaks to the referee on October 29, 2025
Chelsea's red card woes continue
Delap's dismissal represented the fifth time that a Chelsea player has been sent off in the 2025-26 campaign.
Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Malo Gusto have all been given their marching orders in the league, while Joao Pedro was dismissed in last month's Champions League win over Benfica.
Maresca was also shown a red card following his wild celebrations in Chelsea's dramatic win over Liverpool earlier this month.
The Chelsea boss focused on Delap's dismissal when asked whether Chelsea's poor disciplinary record was cause for embarrassment.
'When it's a red card like today, it's embarrassing," Maresca said after the win at Molineux. "There were two yellow cards in seven minutes, both avoidable."
Delap will now miss Chelsea's important Premier League away game against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
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