The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

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

The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious message in his post-match interview despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are excelling after a difficult week," he said.

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

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly 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 five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.