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

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious comment in his post-match press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the previous two days at the club.

"The way the squad want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss continued: "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 replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of 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 minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. 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 the vast majority of the 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 externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

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

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.