The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling comment in his after-game press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days at the club.

"How the squad want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."

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

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. 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 best 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 delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned 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 in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.