Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.

"How the squad want to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "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 answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without 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 commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly 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 best 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 win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.