{"id":10911,"date":"2016-08-25T10:02:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T09:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.colossusbets.com\/?p=10911"},"modified":"2019-08-03T05:46:08","modified_gmt":"2019-08-03T04:46:08","slug":"controlling-diego-costa-key-chelseas-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colossusbets.com\/blog\/controlling-diego-costa-key-chelseas-hopes\/","title":{"rendered":"Controlling Costa key to Chelsea’s hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Controlling Costa key to Chelsea’s hopes<\/h2>\n

Antonio Conte has a real job on his hands at Stamford Bridge.\u00a0Chelsea have managed to win both of their opening fixtures but the Blues have struggled\u00a0to inspire confidence on the terraces. Two late goals from Diego Costa have helped to\u00a0preserve their unbeaten record but Chelsea supporters know how different these results\u00a0could have been on another day.<\/p>\n

The Spain international has already picked up two yellow cards and could easily have\u00a0been sent off in both clashes. Costa\u2019s temperament has always been a major issue but,\u00a0with the Premier League looking to enforce stricter rules relating to dissent offences, he\u00a0must be very wary of his actions throughout the campaign.<\/p>\n

Sometimes a liability<\/h2>\n

Costa isn\u2019t flawless; in fact, he has plenty of weaknesses. His disciplinary record is far\u00a0from perfect and Conte\u2019s main task is to keep the 26\u00ad year\u00ad old focused on his football. If\u00a0Costa can avoid picking up cautions and suspensions, Chelsea will reap rewards from his\u00a0continued presence on the pitch \u2013 that much is obvious.<\/p>\n

And to be fair, he is lethal when presented with an opportunity. After two fixtures, Costa\u00a0has scored two very well taken goals and his special affinity with the Chelsea supporters\u00a0is returning after last season\u2019s struggles. While he regained his form under Guus Hiddink,\u00a0many fans wanted the Spanish striker to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the\u00a0campaign.<\/p>\n

On his day, Costa\u2019s skillset has next to no boundaries. The sky is the limit. The Chelsea\u00a0striker is widely regarded as one of the top frontmen in the Premier League and he is\u00a0incredibly difficult to stop when he gets going. He isn\u2019t Sergio Aguero or Zlatan\u00a0Ibrahimovi\u0107 but he is a match\u00adwinner; and Conte knows it.<\/p>\n

Keep the faith in Costa<\/h2>\n

The Italian should build around the Chelsea striker and Conte may try to use his\u00a0aggression and physicality to fuel his desire to succeed. Both men are natural winners\u00a0and the Conte\u00ad Costa partnership is almost a match made in heaven. You can already see\u00a0a clear bond between the two and Chelsea fans will be licking their lips at the thought of\u00a0challenging for the title again.<\/p>\n

Costa cannot afford to get drawn into petty, off\u00ad the\u00ad ball arguments with opposing players\u00a0\u2013 unfortunately, his reputation will act against him. He isn\u2019t a saint by any means but\u00a0Costa\u2019s history could hinder his chance of retribution. Everybody deserves the opportunity\u00a0to change and Conte may be the right man to get the most out of him in a positive way.<\/p>\n

With Conte\u2019s help, the Chelsea frontman could well regain his 2014\u00ad\/15 form and that\u00a0bodes ill for the rest of the Premier League. Costa was immense that season and his\u00a0goals were a big reason for Chelsea\u2019s title triumph. After two victories despite producing a\u00a0less than convincing performance, the Blues might be destined for something special this\u00a0season.<\/p>\n

Chelsea aren\u2019t going to run away with the title like they did back then but Conte and\u00a0Costa will have a big say in the destiny of the Premier League crown. If the Italian can\u00a0calm his talented striker down, the title may be set to return to Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n

Write Diego Costa and Chelsea off at your peril…<\/p>\n

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