Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

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

Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the players are eager to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious 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 without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly 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 top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.