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

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a puzzling message in his post-match media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four outings.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the lads are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing 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 almost all season minus our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.