The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four matches.

However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"How the players want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are excelling after a tricky week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 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 replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of 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 almost all season without our top 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 like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.