In a report from the London Evening Standard, interim boss Guus Hiddink has lauded Diego Costa’s battling style of play after the striker put Arsenal to the sword on Sunday at the Emirates,
Costa proved decisive in Chelsea’s 1-0 away win to Arsenal, scoring the only goal of the game with Arsenal down to 10 men after Costa was denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity by Per Mertesacker, who duly saw red.
The game at the Emirates was somewhat of an echo of the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge in September. Once again, Costa was involved in the thick of the action and received a retrospective three-match ban for his clash with Gabriel Paulista.
However, Costa’s form has markedly improved since Hiddink took the reigns in December. Indeed, Costa’s winner was his sixth in six games under Hiddink, taking Chelsea to 13th place in the Premier League table.
In an interview with Chelsea TV, Hiddink believes Costa’s fighting spirit is vital to the team, and also revealed a degree of sympathy for opposing defenders.
He is important, because he’s focusing on his first job. If you have to play him as a central defender, then you are a bit in trouble. He likes to fight – in a good way – and he’s got his credentials.
