Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization.

"How the players want to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

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

"We play 5 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 outside to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.