Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four outings.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the club.
"The way the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.
