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

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling message in his post-match interview even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.

"The way the squad want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a difficult week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "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 responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward 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, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without 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 recognize because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.