Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at home through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous two days within the club.
"The way the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play five 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 work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.