The Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a rather mysterious statement in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted 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 extended the team's winless run to four fixtures.

But, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days at the club.

"How the players are eager 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 commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 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 responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

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

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

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.