Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a puzzling message in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days at the club.

"The way the lads want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our best 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 externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.