Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

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

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

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

"How the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.

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

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

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

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, 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, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"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 available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.