Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the club.

"The way the lads are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 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 replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus 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 strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.