Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious comment in his post-match press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.

"The way the players are eager to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus 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 on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, 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 reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club 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 during July 2024.