The Manager Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four matches.

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"How the players are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss 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 replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game 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, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

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

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

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

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.