Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game interview despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive outings.
However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days at the club.
"How the squad are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," 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."
Fitness and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
