Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive outings.

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

"How the lads want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people failed to back us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "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 responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin 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 have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"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 available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best 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 like people outside to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out 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 appointment from Leicester in July 2024.