The Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian delivered a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.

But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the players are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

Pressed 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 meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

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

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.