The Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.

"How the lads are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top 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 delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

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

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

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