Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive matches.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.

"How the squad are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people withheld support from us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin 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 without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

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

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is remarkable."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media discourse 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 related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.