Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days at the organization.
"The way the players want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people failed to back us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to 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-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant 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 without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted 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 consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
