There’s been a lot of talk about the ‘Diego Costa incident’ over the weekend.
After looking at it again, I think it bears all the hallmarks of Costa’s typical match tactics.

We’ve seen him play against a number of central defenders and some handle him better than others. The ones who have no problem are usually more experienced. Even John Terry, who knows his playing style as well as anyone, has said he can be difficult to play against but great to have on your side, because he will do whatever it takes to win a game.

Is it always beautiful? No. But that’s not what you’re looking for with a player like Costa. You want goals, and the winning mentality that motivates him to do whatever it takes to win games.

I say this because every coach (and I’m sure Wenger is no different) goes to great lengths to explain the opposition’s moments you have to be careful with.

Costa isn’t the first, and he certainly won’t be the last player in the Premier League to provoke an opponent. That’s why it’s important as a defender to play smart, keep your cool, and avoid situations like the one Gabriel found himself in. Football is not just a physical game; it’s also a psychological one, so it’s important not to react.

Costa has a habit of getting inside defenders’ heads, and when this happens they lose concentration and he has them where he wants them. Then it’s easy to make a mistake and he will capitalise and score, or wind you up further until you do something you’ll probably regret.

We can say Gabriel didn’t deserve that red card and the ref could have been smarter. But everyone knows how referees are, so it’s up to players to not give them the chance to dictate the game by staying out of their way.

#mmlove