Chelsea's Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes 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 side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.

"The way the lads are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a complicated week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss added: "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 answered: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to appreciate because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come 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 head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

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

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.