The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the squad are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

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

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.