The Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his after-game press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous two days at the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people withheld support from us."

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

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to 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 have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online comments 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 matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.