The Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.

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

"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."

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

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason 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 consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments 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 matter 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.