The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious statement in his post-match media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four outings.

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the players are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really commend 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 said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

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

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