Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious message in his after-game press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our finest 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 pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

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

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.