Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the squad are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media 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 involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.