The Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a puzzling message 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 points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive outings.

However, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."

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

When asked if he meant people internally 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 very happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top 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 recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.