Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a puzzling message in his after-game press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the squad are eager to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.

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

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "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 within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly 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 without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in fourth 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 what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media 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 fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.