The Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious message in his after-game press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial 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 team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.

"How the players want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are excelling after a difficult week," he said.

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

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

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

In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

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

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.