The Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted 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 stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

However, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days at the organization.

"The way the lads want to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people failed to back us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 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 responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted 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 triumph over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.