The Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again 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 four outings.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.

"The way the lads want to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a complicated week," he said.

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

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss 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 internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. 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 & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason 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 outstanding."

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.