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

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

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

"How the lads want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous problems, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Woes

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest 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 reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious 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 specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.