DON’T MAKE HIM ANGRY!

Costa even more clinical when wound up

THE difference 12 months makes. When Jose Mourinho last visited Goodison Park, his post-match debrief revolved around his frustrations that Chelsea lacked a top-class striker.

He spoke about his side’s evolving ‘profile’, lamented the chances they had squandered in a 1-0 defeat and explained why it was the one area that was likely to hinder Chelsea’s pursuit of honours. Fast forward to the present and a £32million investment has transformed Mourinho’s squad.

In Diego Costa, Mourinho has found the missing link. If Costa arrived from Atletico Madrid with some questions hanging over him, having seriously underwhelmed during Spain’s wretched World Cup campaign, he is swiftly providing emphatic answers that he is the real deal.

His performance in a helter-skelter collision with Everton, one which finished with a score — 3-6 — more befitting a game of tennis, was everything you could ask for from a high- end forward: slick, strong, aggressive and clinical.

‘It’s been nice to score goals but the most important thing is I help the team to win,’ said Costa. ‘Hopefully that continues all season. We have had a great start but there is a long way to go.’

Costa tormented Everton’s defence, driving them to distraction. There were some unedifying moments — his squabbles with Seamus Coleman and Tim Howard, for instance — but there was also undisputed class, like when he sidestepped his pursuers to finish the scoring late on.

Mourinho, understandably, was keen to champion Costa’s dazzling impact — to think selling Romelu Lukaku for £ 28million almost recouped the fee he spent on the 25-year-old — but, inevitably, there was something else he wanted to say and his message was clear: Costa needs protection.

‘Diego is a mature guy,’ Mourinho said. ‘He has played in some very big matches and comes from a situation where this is no pressure for him.

‘He comes to play football and to give a spectacle but people have been chasing cards for him like they did in this match and, in fact, the referees are moving in this direction, too, because he has had two yellow cards in three matches, which is hard to understand.

‘Imagine the millions watching around the world and, because Everton players are chasing him to get cards, I take him off? I don’t think that is fair.

‘I don’t think this is what the people want. I don’t think this is what the Premier League wants. So when people chase him for cards, give cards to these players. Chased, chased! He has two yellow cards. He’s scored four goals. He is one of, if not the best, player in the Premier League in these three games. Normally he has to get Player of the Month. Normally. But he has two yellow cards.’

Sympathy for Costa was in short supply. He is not a shrinking violet and, when Everton pressed his buttons, he gave as good as he got, never shying away from the confrontation. Costa is a street-fighter and Mourinho may have to accept he will court trouble.

‘I’ve been in the British game for almost 20 seasons and I know the football culture. With Spain and South America, I know the players take time to adapt,’ said Everton manager Roberto Martinez. ‘But he needs to understand we are quite unique in our league: we are very honest and respectful. You don’t see that sort of behaviour in our league (Costa celebrated in front of Coleman after the Everton defender’s own goal).

‘That’s not a reflection of the class that he has. He’s a top player and has had to fight for what he’s got. It’s a real shame when you’ve got a childish reaction like that.’

After conceding 10 goals in the first three games, Martinez has other things to worry about than Costa’s behaviour but will take some solace that Everton won’t face a side of Chelsea’s quality every week.

‘It was difficult for us to score away from home last season,’ said Mourinho. ‘But, in this game, we were brilliant in that aspect but were very bad defensively. We conceded too much and must be more solid from a defensive point of view, so we are far from perfect. We have given people some nice feelings in these three matches. The Chelsea Blues have a feeling this team will be good in this competition all this season. But that is just feelings. We have a lot of work to do. We’ve nine points from three games but so too do Swansea.’

SUPER STAT: Everton have conceded six at home on two occasions since 2009, against Arsenal and Chelsea. Cesc Fabregas played for both.