Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the lads want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.