Diego Costa and Chelsea appear to be on the same page again
after the Spanish international scored to help the west Londoners hold off Hull
on Sunday.
Costa, who returned to the side after being dropped amid
rumours of a training ground bust-up, rammed home Victor Moses’s cross before
Gary Cahill’s header sealed the three points.
Ironically enough, the man who was exiled was Chelsea’s best
player as Hull looked much better than a side occupying
nineteenth in the table.
Costa took his chance when it mattered, but Harry Maguire was a threat for the visitors through the match, while Tom Huddlestone and Sam
Clucas lined up through-balls that should have been gobbled up by Abel Hernandez.
But even on an off day, Costa’s teammates are more than
capable of grinding out victories. It’s that sort of coolness under pressure
that Pep Guardiola and Manchester City would kill for at the moment.
With an eight point lead at the top of the table, Costa and
Chelsea sent a statement to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and the chasing pack:
whatever happens, we will always produce on the pitch.
They were made to work though. Although Hull trailed by a
goal at half time, Maguire dribbled with intent and drew saves from Thibaut
Courtois with a swipe across goal, a tame header and a 25-yard bullet. At times
it felt like Maguire wanted a ball of his own. His battle with Courtois dominated
the first half.
But the visitors suffered earlier when Ryan Mason was
stretchered off injured after bashing heads with Cahill. Costa added to their
woes, finishing Moses’ cut-back after a skillful dummy by the Belgian, Eden
Hazard.
Maguire continued to stand out and Hernandez should have got
a penalty when he was hacked from behind by Marcos Alonso. While Marcos Silva’s
team kept the ball well in the second half, Antonio Conte regained Chelsea’s control by bringing on Cesc Fabregas in place of Hazard.
Fabregas lofted a free kick from the left which sailed over
everyone apart from Cahill, who ghosted in at the far post to head in one of
the most stress-free goals he’ll ever score.
And if Costa does stay at Stamford Bridge – and it looks
like he will, for now at least – his exchanges with Fabregas will be crucial to
Chelsea’s march to the title.
The Premier League’s joint scorer fired straight at Eldin Jakupovic in
the Hull goal after Fabregas slid him through beautifully.
There was enough time left for Hull’s Everton loannee, Oumar
Niasse, to turn and shoot but Chelsea held out to keep the clean sheet.
Moving forward, Conte has crunch Premier League matches
against Liverpool and Arsenal in the next two weeks, but they will start as
favourites in both if Costa continues his revival.
