The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club

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

The Italian delivered a puzzling comment in his after-game media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive matches.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the previous two days at the club.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

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

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.