Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

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

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious comment in his post-match interview even after notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days at the organization.

"How the players are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play 5 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 externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.