Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game interview despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"How the players want to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, 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 most difficult because a lot of people failed to back us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

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

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.