Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the players want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

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

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

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

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.