Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling statement in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"How the lads want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because several people failed to back us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "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 within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our top 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 explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 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 his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

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