The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

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

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four matches.

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.

"The way the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious 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, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 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 minus our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

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