Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious message in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the lads want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

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

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

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse 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 supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.