The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club

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

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

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

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss 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 internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased 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 striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

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

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

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.