The month of May witnesses title challengers Spurs and Leicester travel to Stamford Bridge, while relegation battling Sunderland and Liverpool host the Blues. However, Chelsea’s difficult run-in begins this weekend against Manchester City, and luckily for Guus Hiddink’s men, Diego Costa returns to the XI.
Although Costa hasn’t performed well against City since his Premier League arrival — he’s encountered difficulties outwitting Manuel Pellegrini’s physically imposing centre-backs — the Spanish international’s work-rate and overall presence has unsettled Chelsea’s attack. Chelsea’s developed a reputation for buying striker’s past their prime, with the current crop of attackers consisting of Alexandre Pato and Radamel Falcao, whereas Loic Remy’s fitness issues has prevented the Frenchman from receiving an opportunity to impress.
However, Diego Costa’s transfer to Chelsea appeared a logical move by former manager Jose Mourinho, but stylistically, there was a possibility it wouldn’t fit Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea mould.
Abramovich’s admiration of Barcelona’s success during the Pep Guardiola era was well known, and his incoming transfers following Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League triumph involved young attackers with hopes of building a side capable of playing entertaining, yet successful football. Nevertheless, Costa served as the anti-thesis proactive striker, previously striving at a club that predominantly played on the counter-attack.
Costa’s rise to prominence followed a remarkable domestic campaign that witnessed the Brazilian-born striker serve as the catalyst for an unthinkable La Liga triumph, and within seconds of being crowned European champions. Ideally, Costa’s role at Atletico perfectly maximized the striker’s strengths, and he always risked a potential blimp or loss of form if aiming to move abroad.
Chelsea also gambled with the Spanish international considering it was his first successful season in a top-flight domestic league — despite various loan-spells — and a recurring hamstring injury that forced the striker to depart within the initial 20 minutes of the 2014 Champions League final. Jose Mourinho’s second stint at Chelsea promised long-term stability, trophies, and a proactive brand of football, and the Portuguese manager believed Costa could be the catalyst to another successful cycle at Stamford Bridge.
While Costa is arguably a top ten striker in the world when fit, there were evident limitations to his game displayed at the 2014 World Cup — a combination of minimal match fitness, a flaring hamstring, and Vicente del Bosque’s pragmatic tiki-taka approach — that could occur at a top club. Costa is strong centre-forward with great link up play that aims to run the channels and cut onto his favoured right foot, but his fiery temperament combined with Atletico’s reactive approach left many questioning whether he could evolve his game.
In ways, he’s a personification of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, showcasing the dogged determination and commitment to harry defenders and chase hopeless balls into the channels for an entire 90-minute game. He welcomed physical battles against opposing centre-backs, and played a significant role in Atletico’s impressive collective pressing from the front, but stylistically, a move to Chelsea and his role as the main striker for Spain initially deprived Costa of exploiting space in the channels as the opposition employed deeper defensive lines.
Still, Costa also represented the ideal centre-forward for Mourinho, who employs a siege-mentality within his dressing room to get the best out of his players. As expected, Costa relished off the role as well, and within the opening six months of the season, Chelsea played the best football in the league, spearheaded by the Spanish international.
But Costa’s poor start to the 2015-2016 season, thus resulting in Mourinho’s eventual sacking has left the Spanish international in a limbo. Clashes with opposing defenders — an altercation with Arsenal defender Gabriel, and the most recent FA charge for an alleged bite on Gareth Barry come to mind — dominated the first half of Costa’s season, yet Guus Hiddink’s interim spell has witnessed Costa rediscover his form of last year, scoring 11 goals in 16 appearances.
“It is easy to attack someone you don’t know, although he has committed errors,” said the interim Chelsea manager.
“It is too easy when people gather and start punching someone figuratively. I will analyze what he has done and then try to protect the individual.”
Generally, the team possessing the golden boot winner claims the Premier League title, and with Costa misfiring, and his teammates failing to cope with Mourinho’s exerting demands, Chelsea’s season imploded. Still, if there was ever a match that illustrated Costa’s impact to the Blues, the club’s Champions League exit to PSG served as the ideal example.
A brief spell of Chelsea dominance via intense pressing and quick counter attacks saw Pedro win possession in midfield and combine with Willian to storm towards goal. The Brazilian located Costa running across Thiago Silva, before cutting onto his stronger foot to equalize. Costa was unfortunate to leave in the second half due to injury, yet following a valiant effort to turnaround a deficit, Chelsea’s attack became limp without the striker’s work-rate and ultimately lost both the match and the tie.
A similar goal was scored in Chelsea’s convincing victory over Newcastle three days prior, as Willian’s quick transitional moves proved decisive once again. Nevertheless, Cesc Fabregas’ passing range is also beneficial to Costa utilizing his pace to storm beyond high-defensive lines. The Spanish duos combination inspired an enthralling second half comeback against Everton, further displaying Costa’s developing threat in a proactive system. First, he charged past Phil Jagielka to receive Fabregas’ simple long ball and round onrushing goalkeeper Tim Howard. Then, Costa cleverly combined with Fabregas on the edge of the box, resulting in the midfielder’s equalizer.
It was the football that led to Chelsea’s successful title campaign, but both moves highlighted Costa’s value to a side lacking genuine leadership, experience and efficiency in the final third. Nonetheless, with Antonio Conte announced as the new Chelsea manager a few weeks ago, speculation regarding next year’s squad — including a massive overhaul — is now the main topic of discussion at Stamford Bridge.
One of the issues Conte will encounter, however, involves Costa’s future at Stamford Bridge. It’s reported that Costa is seeking a return to Atletico, but club president, Enrique Cerezo, downplayed the possibility of the striker’s return to the Spanish capital.
“[Costa] has a contract with Chelsea,” he said. “Often, no matter how much you want a player, there is a contract. To negotiate with Chelsea can be really difficult, almost impossible.”
For all the aggression, and occasional match bans, Costa possesses the power and spirit that guided former Chelsea sides to success. The current Chelsea squad lacks leaders, but more importantly it’s deprived of bite — a trait that the Blues’ board clearly values when considering Conte’s appointment.
However, Costa’s physicality and brash demeanour has made him a target amongst the media and opposing supporters, thus providing the striker with more incentive to seek new pastures. The Premier League lost Luis Suarez a few seasons ago under similar circumstances, and though Chelsea aren’t challenging for the title, losing a striker of Costa’s talent could offer an equivalent downfall.
At 27, Costa possesses the attributes to build a bigger legacy then the beloved Drogba, but the club must also offer the patience the Ivorian striker received during his initial spell at the club. Drogba developed a legendary status at Stamford Bridge for his ability to score in cup finals, but his overall career at the club was fairly mediocre, as he enjoyed two top-class seasons.
However, between the multiple trophies and big-game goals, Drogba also underwent periods of petulance. The Ivorian’s extra-time dismissal in the 2008 Champions League Final resulted in John Terry taking the last spot kick, while his emotional rant at the conclusion of the 2009 semi-final exit to Barcelona led to a three-game match ban the following season — the latter was one of the many incidents where Drogba was guilty of falling to ground easily.
In terms of consistency, however, Costa, can eclipse the aforementioned striker’s career at Stamford Bridge. At his best, he’s an all-round world class striker that offers great link-up play, pressing, and work-rate through the channels. Costa’s finishing around the box and his reluctance to shoot from distance certainly requires improvement, but he’s developed the ability to be an effective striker in a proactive system by making intelligent runs behind the opposition’s back-line.
Therefore, while Chelsea require competent back-up strikers, and a possible replacement for Eden Hazard, letting Costa depart would be devastating. Considering the club’s knack of buying strikers past their prime years, the risk on basing the side around another centre-forward — Edinson Cavani or Gonzalo Higuain who are both approaching 30 soon — would be quite the gamble.
Moreover, Chelsea wouldn’t be fully straying away from the mentality Mourinho established at the club, as Conte expects excruciating intensity levels and also adopts an “us against the world” mentality behind the scenes. Hiddink’s brief spell at the club illustrates that simple guidance and belief from the manager are pivotal to Costa’s form. Conte’s equally renowned for his motivational skills, and would cleverly utilize this season’s misfortunes to ignite the Brazilian-born striker to replicate his past success. The key, however, lies in encouraging Costa to remain in England despite media scrutiny and frigid climate.
Costa’s temper may overshadow his natural talent and impact to the club, but at the moment, guiding Chelsea back amongst Europe and England’s elite without the Spanish international appears to be an insurmountable task. Improved personnel and a rejigged attacking approach would be beneficial, but keeping the striker at Stamford Bridge will be a priority for the newly-appointed Conte.
Whether Conte can limit Costa’s disciplinary issues remains unknown, but what the striker offers upfront in terms of dynamism, goals, and work ethic will be priceless to the Chelsea manager. Costa and Conte are both seeking redemption following individual shortcomings, and if they work together, the possibility of silverware next season wouldn’t be far-fetched.
