The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious statement in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"How the lads want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus 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 outside to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

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

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.