The Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game interview even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again 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 fixtures.

However, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the players are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.

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

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. 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 top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best 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 outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.