The Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling comment in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, 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 a lot of people failed to back us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without 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 five games in 12 days so certainly 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 without our top player.

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

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing 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 Remark

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

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.