The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

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

Those points sent Chelsea back 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 winless run to four fixtures.

But, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"How the players are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people withheld support from us."

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

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker 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 a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, 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 explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that period, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.