The Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four matches.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the preceding two days at the club.
"The way the players are eager to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people failed to back us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best 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 happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
