Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a puzzling comment in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four outings.

But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.

"How the lads want to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, 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 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the effort 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 quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.