The Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a puzzling comment in his after-game interview even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.

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

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus 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 for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus 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 recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, 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 press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

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