As Chelsea were seeking their first league win at home this season it could not come at a better time than facing cross town rivals, Arsenal. Chelsea and Arsenal’s rivalry continued as the two title contenders clashed at Stamford Bridge and Mourinho had the last laugh again over his enemy, Wenger as the champions beat the gunners by two goals to nothing.
The Frenchman has not beaten the Portuguese in 14 attempts in competitive games. Last season in a corresponding fixture, ‘the special one’ and the ‘specialist in failure’ had a go at each other on the touchlines and on Saturday the London derby was not short of controversy yet again.
The game saw Arsenal finish with nine men as Gabriel and Carzola saw red cards. The controversy took place in the final stages of the first 45mins of the game as Chelsea striker Diego Costa was involved in an altercation with Koscielny and Gabriel got involved as well and he saw red in an incident in which Costa was the antagonist. The Spanish striker is known for his aggressive style of play which is sometimes described as ‘street fighting’ and often gets him in trouble with the authorities.
Diego Costa and his manager Jose Mourinho share similarities, they enjoy getting in the opponent’s mind and that is what makes them one of a kind in modern football. The game of football needs characters such as Mourinho and Costa who are never afraid to step their authority. Despite scoring only one goal in six games Costa made the headlines for getting the Arsenal defender sent off and gave Chelsea a one man advantage.
Gabriel fell for the perfect trap set up by the former Atletico Madrid striker and showed naivety by the way he reacted and I am almost convinced that Mourinho and Chelsea fans around the world enjoyed that particular scene more than anyone.
Costa and Mourinho are the type that is hated by opponents, but anyone would love to have them in their own side because their approach to the game deviates from everyone else’s and it does get results.
It has been disclosed what Costa’s first words were when he joined the West London based club and these were his first words to Terry, Ivanovic and Cahill “I am going to war and you are coming with me”. This is a type of player that thinks the game is about going out there and takes on whoever you are up against and hungry for success.
After conquering their city rivals, Mourinho and Costa and the rest of the Chelsea team will be looking to get back to the form that saw them win the title and the capital one cup last season and catch up with Manchester City at the summit.
