Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled 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 drought without a win to consecutive matches.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous two days within the club.
"How the lads want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.
