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

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian delivered a puzzling comment in his post-match interview even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive matches.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we have 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 on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. 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 without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

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

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