Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Club

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

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious message in his post-match press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the previous two days at the organization.

"How the squad want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top 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 externally to appreciate because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

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

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