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Analysing Diego Costa’s out-of-sorts performance against Tottenham
It was a bad night at theജ office for Chelsea, as they faced off against a Tottenham side that played with conviction, verve and purpose, and it would be here where Chelsea’s club-record 13 match winning run would meet its end, as the Blues were downed by two Dele Alli headed goals for the hosts.
It was a well-bꦐalanced affair overall, both sides deploying a 3-4-3 formation but executing it in very different ways, with chances at both ends at a premium, bඣut at times in football, the chances don’t always fall quite right, and sometimes a team just isn’t sharp enough to take them. After 13 consecutive wins, the Blues were simply due a defeat, and that was, in part, reflected in the performance of their star front-man, Diego Costa.
The defeat at White Hart Lane was just the fourth time all season that the Spain international has not scored or assꦰisted in a Premier Leagu🥀e match that he has featured in for Chelsea, and that statistic reflects his anonymity, particularly in the first-half.
The 28-year-old was given a particularly hard time by his marker, Belgium international Toby Alderweireld, and from the 17th minute where the Spurs man had gotten the better of Costa in the air, that set the tone for the striker’s night. Costa only became invol𝔍ved in four aerial battles throughout the game, three coming in the first-half and one at the start of the second. All came against Alderweireld, and he only managed to win the ball in one of them.
That one aerial victory came in the first-half, just on the lip of 🦄the centre-circle, and this was an indicator as to how♑ Spurs’ three-man defence, reinforced by the full-backs and midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama, helped stretch Chelsea’s forward-line and force them into coming deeper for the ball. Indeed, the majority of Costa’s touches came in the centre-circle itself, or just over the halfway line and into the middle of the Spurs half, rather than remain concentrated in and around the penalty area where he can be at his most lethal.
Despite having to come deeper for the ball, Chelsea’s mercurial attacker was still struggling to thrive in the game, attempting to dribble beyond A🌱lderweireld twice and again failing to get the better of the Belgian. Only once did Costa manage to dribble beyond his marker, but he was pushed out to the left and forced to run the channels to do so. That was on 67 minutes, and by then the B🔥lues were two goals adrift and chasing the game.
Even when he managed to get a hold of the ball in the danger area, the chances wouldn’t qu✨ite fall his way. Hꦬe was unable to create any chances for his teammates, with an attempted ball across the area blocked on the hour mark, after flashing his first attempt on goal over the bar in the first-half.
It took until the second-half for the forward to hav🧜e his first effort on target, and even then he was reduced to shooting from distance, his effort from outside the box easily saved by Hugo Lloris in the bottom left-corner.
He almost had some joy just after half-time, with something of a game of head tennis ensuing inside the Spurs box as Chelsea stormed out of the box in an attempt 🏅to respond to Dele Alli’s first-half stoppage time opener. Costa however, failed to direct the ball at goal following Kanté’🌳s cross, Alderweireld nipping it away from his head in the nick of time as he rose to meet he ball, before Eden Hazard could only direct his headed effort into the side netting when the ball sat up for him in the six-yard box after Marcos Alonso had headed it back into the mix.
If the forward had his head in his hands at that chance gone begging, his chin would be hitting the floor just five minutes later, as Dele Alli dꦐid manage to get his head onto another teasing ac🧸ross for Christian Eriksen to put the hosts 2-0 up.
Costa would be similarly frustrated as the second-half wore on, seeing an effort from the edge of the six🐎-yard box blocked away♔ on 69 minutes, and then another with just five minutes remaining.
The good discipline maintained by Tottenham’s defence also helped stifle Diego Costa’s tactical game in winning fouls for his te⛎am. He only drew Toby Alderweireld into a foul once all game, roughly 28 yards from goal, but it culminated in nothing as David Luiz’s curling free-kick sailed over the bar.
Costa however, to his credit, unlike in t💝he past, maintained his professionalism to avoid allowing his frustration to boil over. He only gave away one foul of his own, early in the game just inside the Spurs half, but did share a sharp exchange of views with fellow attacker Pedro in ♊the first-half as Chelsea struggled to break through.
Frustration therefore summed up Diego Costa’s night. It was ultimately an ineffective performance, but nothing quite fell for the razor-sharp forward as a disciplined Spurs defence gave very little away, and Toby Alderweireld remained stuck to the forward as effectively as glue. Costa is a player that is sure to respond though, and he must do so if C🅠helsea are to answer to only their third league defeat of the season and resume their title charge. He is a key man for Antonio Conte’s Blues, and although he seemed off-colour on Wednesday night, it shouldn’t be long before he is back to his potent best.
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