The Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious comment in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the previous two days within the organization.

"How the players want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really praise 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 explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best 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 commitment from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant 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, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.