Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days within the club.

"How the squad want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are excelling after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.