The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a puzzling message in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four matches.

But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.

"The way the squad want to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within 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.