The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

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

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four matches.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the previous two days at the organization.

"How the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 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: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

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

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy 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 triumph over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.