The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious statement in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization.

"How the squad are eager to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people withheld support from us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward 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 have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly 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 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 acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought 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 during July last year.