Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling message in his post-match interview even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous two days at the club.

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

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two 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 minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus 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 acknowledge because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.