The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four outings.

However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"How the players are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "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 answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

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

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 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 Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.