When he had his first touch of the ball, Diego Costa turned just outside the Southampton area, assessed his options, looked left and right, looked down and noticed that the ball had disappeared.
The Chelsea striker had failed to see Oriol Romeu creeping up behind him. Romeu is one of the finer screeners in the Premier League and he looked determined to prove why against his former club. Nipping in sharply, he whipped the ball off Costa’s toes. The Southampton midfielder had laid down an early marker.
When Chelsea attacked again, the ball came to Costa on the left. His first cross was blocked. His second attempt went straight to a man in red and white. With each moment of imprecision, it was becoming clearer why Chelsea might be willing to listen to offers from China for a player who has been their hero on so many occasions.
It had been five goalless league games for Costa. But they like to serenade him down at Stamford Bridge. “Diego! Diego! Diego!” is the guttural roar from the Matthew Harding stand whenever the Brazilian-born Spaniard enlivens proceedings with a barrelling run – or sometimes by butting heads with a defender – and Chelsea were attacking that end in the second half when he settled their nerves, confirming a crucial victory by outmuscling Ryan Bertrand and powerfully heading Cesc Fàbregas’s cross past Fraser Forster.
Costa’s 50th Premier League goal since his arrival from Atlético Madrid in 2014 helped ensure Chelsea went seven points clear of Tottenham Hotspur with five matches left, heightening the pressure on Mauricio Pochettino’s team before they visit Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening. His role in their charge towards the title cannot be underestimated despite his recent travails and this was a timely reminder of his potent qualities. Constantly involved, he scored two and made another. But still it seems as though his time in England is drawing to a close.
Back when Costa was scoring for fun in the winter months, it would have come as a shock to hear that Chelsea were ready to part ways with him. Yet a little of the spark has disappeared from Costa’s game ever since Antonio Conte took exception to his desire to hear more about a head-spinning offer from a club in the Chinese Super League and dropped him for the trip to Leicester City in January.
Chelsea went on to win 3-0, with Eden Hazard impressing in a central role, and suddenly it was possible to glimpse a future without Costa, one that might involve a younger alternative leading Conte’s attack, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, say, or Real Madrid’s Álvaro Morata.
Costa scored the opener against Hull City a week later and all seemed well again. But before this visit of Southampton, the only teams to feel his wrath since had been Swansea City, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Conte has defended Costa during his lean spell, praising his willingness to charge into the channels, and the manager has a point. While Costa began this game by conceding possession with his first three touches, he created Hazard’s opener with his fourth, racing down the right to reach Fàbregas’s pass before teeing up the Belgian for a low finish past Forster.
Costa, Fàbregas and Hazard all started on the bench when Chelsea reached the FA Cup final at Tottenham’s expense on Saturday, evidence that nothing is more important for Conte than winning the title. Chelsea have stuttered in the league of late, allowing Tottenham to close the gap, and Costa was desperately poor in the defeat to Manchester United 10 days ago, spending most of his time bickering with Marcos Rojo.
That was Costa at his petty worst and a sign of how much his troubles in front of goal were playing on his mind. At the start of the season, he played with snarling menace. In Chelsea’s opening match, he was fortunate not to be sent off for an awful challenge on West Ham’s Adrián, then sparked the first of Conte’s manic touchline celebrations with a storming late winner. He had 14 league goals by the end of 2016, most of them decisive. He bullied defenders. He made goals on his own, often through his sheer strength and persistence.
There were flashes of his best against Southampton, clever combinations with Hazard, a strong claim for a penalty when the game was level. Playing pretty football, Southampton had equalised through Romeu, exposing Chelsea’s shaky defending at a corner. There is a sense that the leaders are rather limping towards the line. Midway through the first half even N’Golo Kanté lost control, while trying to steam through James Ward-Prowse.
But Chelsea have more mettle than the rest. Just before half-time, Gary Cahill’s header restored their lead. Lining up an overhead kick, Costa connected with fresh air. Cahill had stolen his thunder. The wait went on.
Costa’s moment eventually arrived. The crowd loved it. The tension evaporated. A minute before the end, he linked with Pedro Rodríguez and walloped his second past Forster. Romeu was left trailing in his wake. Costa, and Chelsea, are speeding towards the title. If this is the end, they will part on excellent terms.
