Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when asked about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.

"How the lads are eager to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, 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 many people didn't support us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure 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 happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding 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 head coach.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

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