The Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

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

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

However, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the squad want to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious 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 explained.

"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 top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.