Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian made a rather mysterious statement in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.

"The way the squad are eager to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

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

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.

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

It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.