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

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling message in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those 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 stretched the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous two days at the club.

"How the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant 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 without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.

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

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.