Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.
"How the lads are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."
Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant 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 without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
