The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated 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 rather mysterious message in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

But, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"How the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are excelling after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

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

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure 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 best 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 want people externally to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place 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.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

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