The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-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 statement in his post-match interview even after notching a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

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

"How the squad are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because several people withheld support from us."

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

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

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

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

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.