The Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive matches.
However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the previous two days at the club.
"The way the lads want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly 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 without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.