Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days at the organization.

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

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

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

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

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

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

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.