‘Important’ Costa guns down Foxes
CHELSEA head coach Antonio Conte ignored Diego Costa’s request to be substituted against Leicester before telling the striker he is needed for the team.
Costa scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season as Chelsea beat champions Leicester at Stamford Bridge.
The Spain striker is one yellow card away from suspension and appeared to call for his own withdrawal midway through the second-half. Had he been booked he would have missed next Sunday’s reunion with Jose Mourinho, when Manchester United visit.
Conte insisted it was his choice alone not to take off Costa and downplayed suggestions the striker was feeling his troublesome hamstrings.
“Diego is in good shape. Costa is an important player to us. He has a good personality. We need his passion in every moment of the game.”
Costa was given the freedom of half of Leicester’s penalty area to score after seven minutes, before Eden Hazard and Victor Moses completed victor y, extending Leicester’s miserable start to the defence of their unexpected title.
The Foxes were robust last season, but have now conceded a league-high five goals from corners this term.
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri said: “We have to do something. It’s not a name, it’s not who’s playing or not, it’s the concentration. Now too many times we concede a goal from set-plays.”
Leicester have eight points from eight games in a similar post-title malaise to Chelsea’s of last term, but Ranieri is focused on working to respond.
“I’m not worried. I know my job, it’s difficult to say what happened,” he said. “We see it’s a different Leicester. Now it’s important to understand why.”
Ranieri acknowledged Leicester’s first foray into the Champions League has had an impact, but still demands the same level of concentration domestically. The Fox es play Copenhagen on Tuesday night and Ranieri rotated his options with that game in mind.
Riyad Mahrez did not start a Premier League game for the first time in a year, and the Foxes boss insisted he would
make the same decision again. He added: “The Premier League is one year long. Champions League is two months, in or out.”
N’Golo Kante turned down Champions League football with Leicester to move to Chelsea and showed his former employers what they were missing with a fine performance.
But Ranieri downplayed the loss of the France midfielder. He went on to say: “Of course N’Golo Kante was important for us, as were all the other players.
But it’s not only one man change the team. It’s the brain mentality that changes the team.”
Conte laughed off suggestions he was about to be sacked after some bookmakers suspended betting on his departure. And Chelsea’s best performance of the season was the on-field response.
“I’m quite tranquilo. I’m very happy,” said Conte, who dedicated the performance to Willian and his family after the Brazil playmaker’s mother died during the week.
“When you work so hard during the week, it’s logical you want to see a good result, good play, a good game.”