Costa back to fire Chelsea, Wenger sent off as Arsenal chases
LONDON (Reuters) – Diego Costa returned for Chelsea with deadly effect on Sunday, scoring in the 2-0 win over Hull City which increased its lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after Arsenal had earlier taken up the mantle as its nearest pursuers.
The Gunners beat Burnley 2-1 at the Emirates where the real drama came in injury time when each side scored a penalty and Arsene Wenger clashed with the fourth official after being sent off for disputing the first spot-kick.
By contrast, the day’s other game seemed routine, with Southampton beating the ailing champions Leicester City 3-0.
Chelsea is odds-on to succeed Claudio Ranieri’s side as victors in May after posting its eighth successive home league win against a Hull side which had Ryan Mason taken to hospital after a sickening clash of heads with Gary Cahill.
The stage was set perfectly for the returning Costa to make more headlines after being said by the club to be missing with injury against Leicester last week while British media reported he was unsettled by the prospect of a big-money move to China.
The strike sparked a bizarre celebration in which the Spanish international made gestures with both hands that suggested he had just silenced the chatter about his future in the best way possible.
Indeed he had. Costa’s goals – this was his 52nd on his 100th appearance for the club – remain the main reason why Chelsea is such hot favorites for the title as it now stands on 55 points with Arsenal on 47, Tottenham Hotspur on 46 and Liverpool on 45.
Costa eventually left to a rousing reception late after Cahill settled matters by rising above the visiting defense to head home the second on 81 minutes.