Writing in his regular column for the Daily Star, football expert Paul Merson has suggested Diego Costa can be the difference in Sunday’s titanic clash with Manchester City.
“If he plays, I don’t see Chelsea losing. They never do to the big teams under Jose Mourinho”, he states. “But if he doesn’t play, they will do well to get a draw. He’s that important to them” said Merson. There is a reason behind his conclusion, and it’s that Chelsea’s entire game plan depends on the striker.
“If he’s fit and starts, I think they will park the bus, keep it tight and try to nick something”. Unlike many of Chelsea’s biggest critics however, his tone is not negative. “If it’s Loic Remy, he can’t hold the ball up like Costa and it will keep coming back at them, so they might be forced to have a right go instead”.
According to Merson, if Chelsea were to use the second approach, it would not be as successful as the first. “If they try and go toe to toe with City and make it attack v attack I think City might beat them”.
“That’s why Costa is so important. Chelsea are a different team when he plays and when he’s fit”.
The Sky Sports pundit has not underestimated the importance of this weekend’s match, for both Chelsea and City. He suggests that although Mourinho’s side in the eyes of many are still title favourites, a five-point gap after two games may be vital in the title race.
City similarly, need a win from Sunday’s match. “They need to prove they are the real deal this season maybe even to themselves”.
