Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca admitted Saturday that he has endured his toughest few days since arriving at the club, remarks that appeared to reflect his frustration with criticism following the team’s recent slump in form.

Speaking after Chelsea’s 2–0 Premier League victory over Everton, which ended a four-match winless run in all competitions, the Italian manager was keen to defend and praise his players.

“They are doing very well after a complicated week,” Maresca told reporters. “The last 48 hours have been the worst since I joined the club, because many people didn’t support us.”

Chelsea’s struggles had included a 2–1 Champions League defeat away to Atalanta on Tuesday, a scoreless draw with Bournemouth last weekend, and a 3–1 loss to Leeds United earlier in the month.

Those results came after encouraging performances, including a resilient 1–1 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal despite playing most of the match with 10 men following Moisés Caicedo’s red card, and an emphatic 3–0 Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Asked to clarify his comments, Maresca said he felt the team and coaching staff lacked support “in general,” while stressing that he remained pleased with the backing from Chelsea supporters.

The win over Everton lifted Chelsea back into fourth place in the Premier League standings, moving them ahead of Crystal Palace, who face Manchester City on Sunday.

Maresca joined Chelsea in 2024 after guiding Leicester City back to the Premier League. He enjoyed immediate success at Stamford Bridge, winning the Europa Conference League in his first season before adding the Club World Cup title in July.