The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.

"How the lads want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are excelling after a complicated week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest 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 didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

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

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is fantastic."

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.