The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four matches.

However, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding two days at the organization.

"The way the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.

"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."

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I truly 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, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, 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 minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."

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

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

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

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.