Costa Bravo
Costa puts faith in Diego finding his scoring touch
COMETH the hour, cometh the man – or so Antonio Conte is hoping.
Diego Costa hasn’t scored in six games, stretching back to Chelsea’s 2-1 win at West Ham on March 6.
Since then he has been surly, subdued and had fresh speculation suggesting he is off to China when their transfer window reopens in June.
Last week at Manchester United, Costa was back to being the snarling, confrontational, wind-up merchant – his mind apparently more fixed on winning his running battle with Marcos Rojo than helping the Blues.
It has sparked calls for Costa to be dropped for today’s FA Cup semi-final showdown at Wembley against Spurs. Asked about his star striker, however, a smile broke out across Conte’s face.
The Italian said: “I think he is keeping the goals for the finale of the season. It’s the right moment for him to score.”
It sounded like hope, rather than expectation. But it was a warning for Spurs that the club’s £32million striker could yet answer his critics with the goals to land the Double. Chelsea, who insist he was one of several players struggling with a stomach bug last weekend, do need him. Badly.
During the first half of the season Costa scored 15 goals as Chelsea left the rest of the Premier League trailing in their wake.
Since January 22 there has been a marked downward turn in his fortunes. He has netted just three times for his club in the past three months. Since March a 13-point lead has been reduced to just four by relentless Spurs.
There has also been a run-in for Costa with a member of Conte’s backroom staff and those claims that Chinese club Tianjin Quinlan have a £650,000-a-week offer waiting for him.
Conte said: “You’re restarting about this? Diego to China? I repeat, the most important thing for us is to be focused. To continue to do what we are doing until now. To be focused on the present, to keep the concentration.
“We have to finish a good season for us and then we want to do something extraordinary for me, for the players, for the club. We are doing a great job. But we are only at the start of this job.
“When you arrive at the end of the season you want to be in a good position to reach a good target, or a fantastic target.”