Chelsea’s Maresca vents after hard-wought 2-0 win over Everton: ‘the worst 48 hours since joining’
13 December 2025
Match Recap
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca issued blunt criticisms, saying the team felt a lack of backing after their 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday in the Premier League’s 16th round.
The Italian coach, visibly irked, said he had lived \"the worst 48 hours since joining the club,\" even as the win helped push Chelsea back into the top four.
Against Everton, Malo Gusto supplied the assist for Cole Palmer’s opener and then doubled the lead himself.
Gusto’s display earned praise, and Maresca avoided naming names when asked about a few \"people\" behind the scenes, while reserving praise for the Chelsea fans.
\"The last 48 hours were the worst since I joined the club, because many people did not support us,\" Maresca told reporters, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
He added: \"I’m very happy for Malo Gusto, because the effort he and the other players show proves they want to help this club.\"
Asked to clarify his comments, he repeated: \"The worst 48 hours since I joined the club, because people did not support me or the team.\"
\"I love the fans, and we are very grateful for their support,\" he insisted.
Addressing how Chelsea returned to winning ways, Maresca admitted he bore full responsibility after the Leeds game: the lineup and tactical plan were his mistakes, and it’s clear the squad is improving under difficult conditions from day one.
Everton boss David Moyes kept his assessment pragmatic, noting a clear gap between his side and Chelsea after a game with chances for both teams.
\"Perhaps there’s a billion-pound difference between us,\" Moyes said. \"In the end, it’s 11 vs 11, and we started the match that way. I think we played well.\"
Everton were hit early when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall limped off after 16 minutes, with no injury details disclosed, and Jack Grealish was substituted in the closing moments due to a hamstring issue.
Moyes added that they were still in the game even when trailing 2-0 and conceded that a positive result might have pushed them toward the top four.
\"There’s no point dwelling on missed chances; in football you must take your opportunities when they arrive,\" he said, before concluding that Everton challenged Chelsea to prove they could match them, though they lacked the decisive quality in key moments.
