The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game interview despite securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the squad are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a difficult week," he stated.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 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 replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing 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 the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

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

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.