Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four matches.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.
"The way the squad are eager to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult 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."
When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July 2024.
