The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club

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

The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his post-match media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps 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 Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.

"How the squad are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are excelling after a tricky week," he stated.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder 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, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best 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 reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the effort from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious 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 club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.