Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization.

"The way the lads want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are excelling after a difficult week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker 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 minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.