The Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling comment in his post-match interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four matches.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the previous two days at the organization.

"The way the players want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned 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 press: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play five 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 like people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

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

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.