Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive outings.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days within the club.

"How the squad are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest 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 pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.