The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive matches.

But, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the squad want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "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 answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

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

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, 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 what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.