Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous two days within the organization.

"How the lads want to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

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

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

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

Fitness and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.