Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian delivered a puzzling statement in his post-match media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive outings.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the squad want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 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 answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play 5 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 want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.