Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic 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 sent 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 four matches.

But, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the players want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "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 internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as 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 minus Moises Caicedo, eleven 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 brilliantly. 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 top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.

"We play five 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 outside to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

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