Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian made a puzzling comment in his after-game press conference despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat 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 assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the club.

"How the lads want to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Woes

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

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five 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 playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments 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 matter 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.