Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a puzzling message in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four outings.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.

"How the lads are eager to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I praise them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our top player.

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

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter 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.