Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four matches.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the squad want to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people didn't support us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

"We play five 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 outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place 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.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.