After the striking woes of Fernando Torres, Chelsea fans welcomed the arrival of thirty-two million pound man Diego Costa with open arms. Despite many a trophy-laden season, Torres had lost his swagger. His form had hit an all time low and the Spaniard never really fully recovered from a knee injury during the latter stages of his Liverpool career that required surgery in the months of January and April of 2010.
The arrival of Costa has seemingly filled the void left by Didier Drogba’s departure following Chelsea’s Champions League triumph in Munich. The Brazilian-born forward has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water with seventeen goals and two assists in twenty appearances in the English topflight. His combative style has been a perfect fit with the physicality of the Premier League, but has at times been adjudged to over-step the mark with the striker having recently served a three-match ban for a charge of violent conduct.
However, Costa cuts a figure of unrelenting defiance and has suggested that the FA have treated him differently in comparison to other players, highlighting their inconsistency:
“I do know now that I have to be a little bit more careful because it’s not the same when I do something or when someone else does it. Something I do, it’s talked about much more than another player. I have to be extra careful but I’m never going to change the way I play. That’s what got me here. That’s the way I play.”
As a result of the ban, Costa has struggled to recapture his form and will be the first to admit that his performances of late have been slightly on the rusty side:
“When I was at my best, I had that suspension that I still don’t even know why it happened. Now, I’m running a little bit behind, trying to do my best, working hard and hopefully I’ll be 100 per cent.”
Going into the final, Costa will hope to emulate the record of club-legend Didier Drogba at Wembley, but maintains the mentality to approach every game of equal importance even with the prestige of a final at Wembley holds:
“I don’t pick tournaments to score, or rivals or other teams to score against. I’m a striker, every game I play I want to score. If it hasn’t happened in the cup, I’m hoping to God it happens on Sunday. Wembley is a ground with great history. It’s hosted games and players of great prestige, it’s always important playing on great stages like this. Playing in a game like this at a ground like this, in my first final for the club, will be very beautiful.”
Follow Conor O’Connell on Twitter: @Conor_@Connell
