Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four outings.

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the previous two days within the club.

"The way the players want to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our best 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 externally to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place 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.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.