The Blues witnessed yet another red card this week when they faced Wolves at Molineux in the Carabao Cup and boss Enzo Maresca did not hide his frustration at the situation
Enzo Maresca speaks
Enzo Maresca did not hide what he thought about Liam Delap's red card
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Enzo Maresca has fired a warning shot to his Chelsea players after the Italian witnessed yet another dismissal this week. The Blues have now picked up five red cards after Liam Delap received two yellow cards inside 10 minutes of each other as they held on to a 4-3 win against Wolves in the Carabao Cup.
They have the worst discipline in the Premier League right now with three red cards and 20 yellows as well but are one of the most fouled sides in the league winning 109 fouls which might have added to their frustration.
Despite the win, Maresca was not holding back on his comments about Delap's dismissal - who was welcomed back into the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury two months ago. But now, the striker is out of a crucial match at Tottenham Hotspur this weekend and bookies William Hill have a red card to be shown at 9/2.
"For today we have a very a stupid red card, that was completely unnecessary, absolute it was a stupid foul, we can avoid that," Maresca said.
"I completely support and understand the red card like against Brighton and Manchester United that is difficult, but the red card against Nottingham and a red card today we can avoid that and we have to avoid that. It's embarrassing when it is a red card like today. It's embarrassing, two yellow cards in seven minutes. Both I think we can avoid.
Enzo Maresca watching his Chelsea team
Enzo Maresca during Chelsea's Carabao Cup match at Wolves
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"After the first yellow card I told him to four or five times 'keep calm', but he's a player when he is inside the pitch, probably he is playing the game for himself and he struggled to realise and to listen around him."
It is not the start to life at Stamford Bridge Delap would have wanted having already had a disrupted start from injury as the former Ipswich Town striker made his Carabao Cup debut for the Blues. The striker, who joined in the summer, suffered a hamstring injury in his third Premier League appearance for the club against Fulham in what was his full debut at Stamford Bridge.
The former Man City trainee missed 10 matches all together in all competitions before returning to the pitch at Molineux in last night's goalfest win. However, the player suffered two yellow cards in quick succession having only been on the pitch for a total of 25 minutes. In fact, there were only seven minutes separating the two yellow card offences before he received his marching orders.
Chelsea have struggled to find an out-and-out striker in recent years with many claiming the number nine shirt is cursed but many, including this writer, see Delap as someone who will break that curse. It will, however, have to wait for another week as he now misses the crucial match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.
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