Enzo Maresca lambasted Liam Delap for his “very stupid red card” and called on his young squad to “grow up”. Chelsea, 3-0 up at half-time, managed to turn this into a topsy-turvy tie that earned them a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff, but has cost them the services of their striker for Saturday’s game at Tottenham.
The Chelsea manager had no sympathy for Delap who, returning as a substitute after two months out with a hamstring injury, was dismissed for collecting two similar yellow cards in seven late minutes.
Wolves, despite extending a poor start to the season, ended up in credit. The Premier League’s bottom side battled fiercely to regain some pride, getting applauded by supporters who had booed them off from Sunday’s defeat by Burnley.
Between them, the teams who had lost to last-minute winners at the weekend made 21 changes to their starting lineups. But whereas Chelsea’s shock home defeat by Sunderland ended a run of four victories, Wolves have two points in the league and now a cup exit. The second half, however, provided Vítor Pereira with some evidence his team could turn their season around.
“This is one of the best groups of players of my whole career,” the Wolves head coach said. “They have the spirit, the will and the character to change the situation.
“When I change 11 players, I take the risk because we have three games in very short time. It’s my responsibility to do it. I do it to give opportunities to players working hard in training and deserve the opportunity.
Within three minutes of the restart, however, with substitutes Marshall Munetsi and Ladislav Krejci adding muscularity to the Wolves midfield, Facuno Buonanotte was dispossessed in midfield and Hwang Hee-chan played in Arokodare who opened up his body and shoot home.
With 15 minutes remaining, Wolfe gave Wolves hope. From Mosquera’s long throw, there were flick-ons from Munetsi, Krejci and Emmanuel Agbadou before he arrived at the far post to angle home. His second followed from a similar position as Wolves tried mightily to save their pride, but only after Gittens had swerved a brilliant shot in off a post to make it 4-2.
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