Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian made a puzzling message in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

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

"The way the players are eager to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

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

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

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

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

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.