The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a rather mysterious comment in his after-game interview even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four outings.

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the players are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

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

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the 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 like people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

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

In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.