Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four outings.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"How the squad want to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."
Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game 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 minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five 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 almost all season without our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
