Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive outings.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"How the squad are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "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 & Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from within 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 warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
