The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game interview despite notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"The way the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.

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

When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

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

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly 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 top player.

"We play 5 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 recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

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 trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.