Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a puzzling statement in his post-match media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four outings.

But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the squad want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 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. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly praise 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 said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play 5 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 like people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."

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 trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.