Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the previous two days within the club.

"How the lads want to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our top player.

"We play five 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 like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing 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 Comments

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

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.