Wayne Rooney and Diego Costa have only scored four Premier League goals combined so far this season and have faced criticism for their lack of goalscoring production.
Chelsea are languishing in sixteenth place in the league due to a multitude of unknown reasons. However, it must be said that Costa’s form is one of those reasons. As well as this, the Brazilian-born Spaniard has received more attention for disciplinary issues than the goals he has scored so far in Chelsea’s title defence.
However, the Manchester United and England captain has recently revealed his support for Costa, via ITV News.
I actually voted for him as player of the year last season because I think he was a huge player for Chelsea. I think what Chelsea missed the season before was that fight up front and he gave them that and I strongly believe that’s why they became champions. Obviously it hasn’t gone as well as it did last season for him but I think he is a fantastic player.”
Indeed, in the summer of 2014 Chelsea gutted their entire strike force of Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o, and Demba Ba. Jose Mourinho replaced the pair with Costa, Loic Remy, and Didier Drogba. The three men fired Chelsea to the Premier League title as well as the Capital One Cup in 2015.
Moreover, it was the £32 million man Costa whose twenty league goals sent him to Premier League stardom and proved himself as the striker that Chelsea was missing.
Rooney went on:
He’s a fighter and I think that’s part of his game and it’s going to be very difficult for anyone to ask him not to do that. I feel that’s in him – that fight. He thrives on that and that gets his teammates going as well.
