Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a puzzling statement in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"The way the squad are eager to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

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

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly praise 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 minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.