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

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the players want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

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

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

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really 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, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play five 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 want people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside 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 not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.