The Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a rather mysterious comment in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four fixtures.

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the players are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend 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 many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without 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 undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play 5 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 want people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

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

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse 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 issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.