Chelsea are into the quarter-finals of this season’s Carabao Cup with the Blues booking a last eight date with League One side Cardiff City that is scheduled for mid-December
Chelsea booked a night in Cardiff with a victory against Wolves at Molineux on Wednesday evening. The Blues survived a second-half scare to hold on and progress into the quarter-finals of this season’s Carabao Cup.
Enzo Maresca’s side were cruising at 3-0 at the half-time break thanks to goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estevao Willian. But the second-half, Wolves came out a different side and so did Chelsea – and that made for a dramatic 45-or-so minutes.
Tolu Arokodare got the hosts back into the game on a chilly evening in the west Midlands, before David Moller Wolfe reduced the deficit to just one. Liam Delap was then sent off for picking up two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes, meaning Chelsea had to defend with a man less for the final minutes.
Jamie Gittens, who set up Chelsea’s first two goals of the night, then made it 4-2 with a screamer, though the comfortable cushion did not last long. Moments after Wolves kicked off again, Moller Wolfe scored his second of the night to ensure a nervy stoppage time for the Blues.
EFL rules state that if a player picks up two yellow cards throughout a Carabao Cup campaign, then they will serve a one-match suspension. That, however, is wiped clean after the quarter-final stage, meaning it will apply for Chelsea in south Wales in December.
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So if a Chelsea player, who already has a yellow card in the competition this season, is booked in Cardiff, then they will miss the first-leg of the semi-final should the Blues progress to the next round. In the west Londoners’ third round win at Lincoln City, Filip Jorgensen, Enzo Fernandez and Santos were all shown yellow cards.
In Wednesday evening’s win over Wolves, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, George, Estevao and Delap were all booked. Delap, of course, picked up two bookings at Molineux but is not at risk of missing the semi-finals through accumulating too many yellows.
Delap’s two yellows are classified as a red card under EFL rules, meaning his slate will essentially be wiped clean if he is to feature in Wales. However, the other seven are all one yellow card away from being suspended for the first-leg of the semi-final should Chelsea progress at the Cardiff City Stadium.
