Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club

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

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"How the lads are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 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 specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly commend 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 explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked 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 rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.