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

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the previous two days at the organization.

"The way the players want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "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 internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

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

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.