Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson says Chelsea’s scrappy win over Benfica is “job done” but the side “always seem to be a work in progress”.
The Blues edged a 1-0 victory on Jose Mourinho’s return thanks to a first-half own goal but struggled for coherence after Enzo Maresca rotated his starting XI.
“It wasn’t a great spectacle, wasn’t a thriller,” Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast. “On reflection, the result was far more important than the performance for Chelsea.
“The frustration of the fans was apparent. Maresca ended up reversing the changes he made to the side by bringing on the players that you’d have expected to start midway through the second half.
“But, 20-25 minutes after the game you take a step back and think he’s made those changes because of the fixtures that they’ve had and the tough run of results. This was a game where they had to get a result and stop that run of defeats.”
Chelsea made five changes from the side beaten by Brighton at the weekend, including leaving Joao Pedro on the bench, and Robinson recognised the challenges Maresca faced.
“They were in a difficult spot and came up against a Jose Mourinho side who came here very organised,” he said. They had their chances on the break and caused Chelsea problems. A draw wouldn’t have been an unfair result.
“Missing an out-and-out number nine was glaringly obvious. Tyrique George started down the middle and I think there was a bit of fluidity missing. It wasn’t a slick performance but it was a job done. It won’t have got Chelsea fans off their seats but they’ll go away reasonably happy.
“It was scrappy at times, it wasn’t a pretty performance, but the result was far more important than anything else.
“Chelsea always seem to be a work in progress. It’s the never-ending project.”
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