Magician, cheat, diver, world class – this rather paradoxical sentence sums up what has been an eventful few days in the Barclays Premier League. Surprisingly (or not), most of these words have been used to describe only one man, and in case you were too engrossed in the Rugby World cup to notice, the man in question is yet again Diego Costa.
Probably discussed about more often than the not, the much maligned Chelsea striker endured another interesting weekend where the topic of conversation was not his lack of goals but instead his style of play and gamesmanship.
His confrontation with Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny on the stroke of half time bizarrely ended up with Gabriel Paulista (I know, how did he get involved!) being sent off for a petulant kick at Costa. Watching at the time it seemed strange that Costa did not join Gabriel down the tunnel but as Match of the Day 2’s Martin Keown noted on Sunday, these dark arts employed by the Chelsea hit-man worked perfectly. An opposition player had been given their marching orders whilst he escaped with only a yellow.
Mourinho hardly helped clear up the matter in what quite frankly was an extraordinary press conference that preceded the game in which Chelsea went on to win 2-0. The majority of the time he spent wittering about badminton and of course the customary dig at his ‘good’ friend Arsene Wenger. Whilst we may at times dub Mourinho a genius, he certainly demonstrates eccentricities that make us wonder whether Nigel Pearson really was onto something when he ranted about Ostriches.
To the rest of us, it was clear to see that Costa had deliberately got Gabriel sent off. Although this is nothing new to the game, it did seem unjust considering Costa’s sins seemed far greater than anything Gabriel had committed.
Whilst it is easy to condemn Costa for his actions, it should be noted that Gabriel was nothing short of stupid for getting sent off. There had been previous between the two from their days in Spain and although Gabriel was admirably standing up for Koscielny, who had been grabbed in the face seconds before the clash, his naivety in reacting to Costa’s provocation more than likely cost his side the game.
Others have criticised Mike Dean for his part in the fracas. Chief of referees Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports News that Dean should have done more to calm tempers down and was too quick to dismiss Gabriel for what were both cheap yellow cards at best. The referee’s job appears to be getting increasingly more difficult with all of this nonsense happening out of sight. Its fair to say it would be tough on Mike Dean to suggest he was culpable in this situation.
But as the fallout continues over the incident, the spotlight remains firmly on Costa. Perhaps more so now the FA have found him guilty of violent conduct which will now lead to a 3 match suspension. Although he may be a repeat offender, there is no doubt that Chelsea are a better side with Costa in it. Despite a lean start to the season, he plays a key role in most games, perhaps not in the way that many would like but his presence alone can be influential.
This provocative behaviour displayed by the Chelsea striker has become pivotal to the modern game and like him or not, Costa has mastered the skill well. As we wait to see if Chelsea will dispute the suspension given out, debate will continue whether this new element of gamesmanship has crossed the line. The idea of getting an opponent sent off certainly harms the spirit of the game and the play acting that we saw from the weekend was simply embarrassing at times.
So do we want this childish behaviour in the Premier League? No, of course not. However it is fast becoming something that we have to accept; something that is now part of our game and, say it quietly, important to partake in. Perhaps in time these dark arts will be put in the same bracket as time wasting – a well known side of gamesmanship which people now accept as inevitable.
But for now the petulance of it all should be condemned. It may well be a case of teams wising up to this new side of the game and simply being the ‘bigger man’ by ignoring it. Easier said than done in the heat of the moment, but Gabriel showed the highest price that can be paid for becoming involved with these games. Costa has of course got his comeuppance – with a reputation like his it can only shape referee’s perceptions of him in a negative light.
The FA have found him guilty of violent conduct and whilst this appears to be justice on the surface, it will do little to appease Wenger and his team who will feel it is too late. And to compound Wenger’s woes he will know that yet another defeat to Chelsea, albeit controversial, already threatens to derail whatever title aspirations Arsenal had.
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