The Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

But, when asked about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the club.

"How the players are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are excelling after a difficult week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."

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

When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing key forward 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 truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

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

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

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe 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, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

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