The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling comment in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive outings.

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

"How the lads want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play five 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 recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.