Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious comment in his post-match interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four matches.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally 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 very content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

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 journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

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

In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.