Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the squad are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he said.

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

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing key forward 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 significant injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.

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

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

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

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.