The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four outings.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the players are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.

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

Pressed on the specifics, the former 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 was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

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

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse 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 fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.