The Manager Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian made a rather mysterious message in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four fixtures.

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.

"How the squad want to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he stated.

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

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 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: "In general. Overall," before clarifying 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 Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best 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 reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked 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 rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.