The Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the squad want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"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 said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online discourse 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 issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.