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

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

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling statement in his post-match interview even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the players want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."

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

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of 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 minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus 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 like people externally to recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out 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 during July last year.