Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a puzzling statement in his after-game interview even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the lads want to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people failed to back us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 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 replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play 5 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 want people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

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

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.