The Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days at the club.

"The way the players want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.