Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling statement in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League'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 consecutive outings.

However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "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 internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five 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 without our best player.

"We play five 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 externally to appreciate because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Speculation Over Maresca's Comments

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.