Return of the TINKERMAN
Blues fans hail Costa after Potter evokes memories of Ranieri with seven changes
IF this felt a little like Diego Costa’s testimonial, it shouldn’t have done. Wolves, in the first game since sacking Bruno Lage, are in serious trouble and whether Costa, out of shape and out of football since terminating his contact with Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro in January, is the man to save them is a moot point.
But, still, what a moment. After he had huffed and puffed for 56 minutes, leading the line with tenacity if not the menace of old, his number was up.
On came Hwang Hee-Chan and Costa proceeded to wend his way slowly, along the touchline and in front of the Matthew Harding Stand, back to the Wolves dug out. Stamford Bridge rose as one to acclaim him. He may be the archetypal villain anywhere else in the world, other than the red and white quarters of Madrid, but here he remains a hero.
Costa, irascible as ever, reciprocated, acknowledging them, fist bumping and slapping hands with front-row fans. ‘Diego! Diego!’ they chanted, the Chelsea fans, that is. When he left here in 2017, it was an acrimonious affair, Antonio Conte letting him go via text, leading to a prolonged stay back in his native Brazil and accusations that Chelsea were treating him like a criminal.
As such, he never had the chance to say goodbye until now. It was heart-warming stuff, although possibly not if you were a Wolves fan. They had just gone 2-0 down, looked unlikely to get back in the game and remain manager-less. ‘He’s worth more than you! Diego Costa! He’s worth more than you,’ the Chelsea fans helpfully reminded their visitors.
Costa was all smiles once he reached the bench and interim managers Steve Davis and James Collins embraced him, appreciative of his effort. Davis claimed he hadn’t noticed the commotion, which is possible when you’re so focused on the game. Still, it would have been hard to have missed it.
‘His commitment is unquestionable’ said Davis. ‘You can see on training ground he’s committed and wants to do well. When we can get him firing and fit and into the box, who knows? We know he can get on the end of crosses.’
Costa’s English remains limited but one thing he does understand. ‘When I said he was starting, his eyes lit up, so he understood that!’ said Davis. ‘He’s infectious, bubbly, and the players need that. We need to get out of this and he will be key to that.’
For Blues boss Graham Potter, this was a useful middleweight challenge to prepare for more heavyweight affairs that will come down the line. Right now, he needs wins under the belt as he drives to establish himself as a top six coach. Seven changes between a Champions League match and Premier League game is not a luxury he had at Brighton.
Also, keeping the likes of PierreEmerick Aubameyang happy after being benched despite his goals against Crystal Palace and AC Milan is not a problem encountered before. ‘It’s a tricky one, as forwards rely on rhythm but he hasn’t had that much football previous to coming here, felt like today give him a breather,’ said Potter.
‘I’m conscious that if we lost today you’ll come at me with; “Why did you not play
Aubameyang?” As long as the reasons are there and I know in my head why we made the decision, someone has to take it and it worked out well.
‘And it’s important that everyone knows we can’t do it with 11. Most professional footballers, whatever level, want to play but part of the deal with coming to a club like this is that there is a lot of competition, you have to fight to be in the team be ready to help the team and play your role. All you can do as head coach is communicate the reasons why and admit you’re not always right, but that you’re doing it with good intentions.’
Potter was referring to all the players, not just Aubameyang and his words could equally be applied to Raheem Sterling, left on the
bench because of the sheer volume of games he has played or Ben Chilwell, currently rotating with Marc Cucurella. Yet it is Aubameyang, who comes with the Mikel Arteta seal of disapproval, who seems the most likely to dislike being rested if it occurs regularly.
Still, Chelsea could switch their personnel and comfortably keep Wolves at arm’s length. The visitors had some moments early on — a Daniel Podence header, a Matheus Nunes strike and a Joao Moutinho free kick — but the majority of the first half was wondering just when Chelsea could pick their way through Wolves 4-2-3-1 formation. They couldn’t until two minutes into first-half injury time when Mason Mount delivered a fine cross to the far post where Kai Havertz headed home — though quite what Nelson Semedo was doing allowing the German time and space to place his header is a question for the Monday morning inquest at Wolves.
Mount again was to the fore on 54 minutes, exchanging passes with Christian Pulisic before a sumptuous threaded ball for the American, who finished smartly for 2-0. Then came the Diego love-in, at which point it felt like Chelsea had this game pretty much done. Potter, who seems keen to establish his credentials as a promoter of youth, was then able to bring on Armando Broja and see him score an excellent third goal as full time loomed.
Attacking the Wolves defence, Broja cut inside and struck the ball to the far post and past Jose Sa, his first goal for the Chelsea. It almost reminded you of another aggressive Chelsea centre forward from the past, bearing down on goal in his pomp and terrifying defences.
On the day Chelsea celebrated Costa’s past, Broja maybe showed them a glimpse of the future.