The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive matches.

But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days within the club.

"The way the players are eager to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.

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

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

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

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

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue 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.