The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the players want to develop 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 stated.

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

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"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 finest player but we play almost all season minus our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus 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 acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

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

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.