The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious comment in his post-match interview even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days at the organization.

"The way the players are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support 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 within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two 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, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best 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 pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened 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 who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse 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 matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.