The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four outings.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous two days at the club.

"How the players want to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."

Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss added: "Worst 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 answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. 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 minus our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.

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

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