The Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled 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 stretched the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

However, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the lads are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

When pushed further on the specifics, 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 asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," 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."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant 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, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top 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 explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular 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 only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.