The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

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

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

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

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

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

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

In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.