Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a puzzling message in his post-match media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

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

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

"The way the squad are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people didn't support us."

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

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

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

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

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.