Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four outings.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the squad are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he stated.

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

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

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all 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 finest player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened 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 scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

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

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny 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.