The Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues

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

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

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

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people didn't support us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward 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 two significant injuries.

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

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

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.