Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four matches.

But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.

"How the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker 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 without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

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

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened 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 Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.