The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious statement in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"How the lads are eager to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "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 internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top 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 want people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 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 session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy 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 in July 2024.