According to multiple reports, Chelsea have dropped Diego Costa for Saturday’s match against Leicester City amidst an argument between the Spanish forward and the Chelsea training staff and a lucrative offer from the Chinese Super League.
A meeting between fourth and sixth in the English Premier League was entirely one-sided, Chelsea hammering Everton 5-0 and climbing to the summit of the EPL.
Eden Hazard, just recently named the PFA’s Fans’ Player of the Month for October, was in devastating form for the home side. His opening goal in the 19th minute was a sweet finish inside the far post.
Diego Costa has been one of the Premier League's best since joining Chelsea, and showed his class Sunday with yet another beauty. Watch as Costa bends it in from beyond the box:
VIDEO: Diego Costa's incredible goal. pic.twitter.com/wxictWMRdh
— Football Planet (@iFootballPlanet) October 30, 2016
The alarm clock sounds — it’s your favorite tune, “Macarena” by Los del Rio. You get dressed and admire your floppy hair and manicured beard. As you drive to the stadium, the anger in your belly slowly grows stronger.
You take to the pitch and wait for the whistle, just about ready to unleash your rage. Your opponents become victims to your endless tackles, kicks, grabs and taunts.
There’s no athlete in the world of sport quite like Diego Costa. On his day, he’s a brutally effective striker who blends determination, power, physicality and a mean goalscoring streak. On that same day, Costa also demonstrates a red hot temper, a clear lack of self-control and a penchant for the absurd.
Fernando Torres, Diego Costa and Juan Mata have all been omitted from Spain’s 25-man provisional Euro 2016 squad by manager Vincente del Bosque. In Torres and Mata, Spain have elected to drop players who’ve combined for 151 appearances, 48 goals, three European championships, and two World Cup winner’s medals.
Costa suffered a hamstring injury during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool on May 11, putting his participation immediately in doubt. Costa’s consistent hamstring troubles, coupled with his subpar form this season, have seen him lose his place in the squad.
It's pretty safe to say that unless you're a Chelsea fan, you probably hate Diego Costa. His mastery of the dark arts of football tends to rub a lot of people the wrong way. He is the pantomime villain of the Premier League, the Loki of the world's game, the Iago to the Othello that is the Premier League referee.
Diego Costa says he did not bite Everton's Gareth Barry.
Gareth Barry says Chelsea's Diego Costa did not bite him.