Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four fixtures.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"The way the squad want to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.

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

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus 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 want people externally to acknowledge because the effort from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.

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

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.