Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the preceding two days within the organization.

"How the squad are eager to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 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 replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been without 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 forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top 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 pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.