The Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four matches.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the players want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"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 there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

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

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

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