Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian delivered a puzzling comment in his post-match interview despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss continued: "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: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter 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 have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

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

In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, attended 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 media reports had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.