Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling statement in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"How the squad want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without 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 commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.