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

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at home through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the squad want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.

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

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all 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 externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place 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 unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.