The Boss Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

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

The Italian offered a rather mysterious comment in his post-match media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the previous two days at the club.

"The way the squad are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within 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 happy with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

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

"We play five 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 outside to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.