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

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian made a puzzling statement in his after-game press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the squad want to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder 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, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have 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 explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.