Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game interview despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals 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 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four fixtures.

However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the previous two days at the organization.

"How the lads want to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I really applaud 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 said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest 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 reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position 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.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

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

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside 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 still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.