Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up 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" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian made a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled 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 winless run to consecutive fixtures.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the squad are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.

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

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

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

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

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

In that period, 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-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.