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

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a puzzling comment in his post-match press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the players want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 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 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 pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

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

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.