The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian made a rather mysterious statement in his after-game interview even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four fixtures.

But, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days within the club.

"The way the lads want to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support us."

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

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best 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 delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care 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 arrival from Leicester in July last year.