Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a puzzling comment in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through 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 after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

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

"How the players are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people failed to back us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our best 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 outside to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

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 next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.