Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

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

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four fixtures.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous two days at the club.

"How the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 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 responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus 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 externally to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win 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.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.