The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game interview despite securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

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

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 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 brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top 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 want people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

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 trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

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