The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious statement in his post-match press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four outings.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the previous two days at the organization.

"The way the players are eager to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support us."

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

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly 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 pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.