Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the preceding two days within the organization.

"How the squad are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he stated.

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

When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.