Chelsea's Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

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

Those crucial 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 stretched the team's drought without a win to four outings.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous two days at the organization.

"How the players are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager added: "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 within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting 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-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top 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 reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

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

In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled 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 issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.