Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a puzzling message in his after-game interview despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four outings.

Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days at the organization.

"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 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 didn't support us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward 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, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all 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 undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

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