Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian offered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game interview even after earning a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the lads want to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."

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

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I really applaud 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, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus 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 recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.