100% shot accuracy: Chelsea forward excels in victory over Swansea
It was touch-and-go for Chelsea's Diego Costa as he faced a late fitness test ahead of Saturday's lunch time kick-off, but the Spanish international showed very few signs of discomfort in what turned out to be an exceptional performance.
Costa continued his sparkling form with his fifth, sixth and seventh goals in just four matches to maintain the Blue's perfect start to the 2014/15 Premier League season. It was a display of epic proportions, which further highlighted his growing importance to Jose Mourinho's side.
Starring role
Stationed as the spearhead of the Portuguese coach's' 4-2-3-1 system, Costa was tasked with his usual role; causing mayhem for the opposition back-four. His physique and technical ability makes him tailor-made for the Premier League and thus far, he has proven the catalyst for the club's incredible early season form.
The abundance of creative talent in the Chelsea midfield ensures chance after chance for Costa on a weekly basis. The likes of Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas are both experts at finding space for their team-mates, and the former Atletico Madrid striker is proving the main beneficiary of this mutual quality.
Poacher
Costa is a typical goal poacher, with each of his three strikes versus Swansea coming from inside the six-yard box. With the quality of midfield players in support, he merely has to position himself and wait for the opportunities to come. His second goal, saw Fabregas exchange passes with Branislav Ivanovic on the left before cutting back for Costa to calmly slot in. This typified the ease in which Mourinho's side are now finding the back of the net.
From being a goal down and largely outplayed in the first-half, Costa rescued Chelsea with his header on the stroke of half-time, before going on to all but win the game after the interval. He managed four shots in total, hitting the target from each and every attempt. At full-time he had converted an impressive 75% of his chances.
While his sole job is to be a physical force in the penalty area and convert chances efficiently, he poses a far greater influence. He fashioned three key passes for his side on Saturday, whilst completing 85% of his total attempted passes. His hold-up play is also second-to-none.
The missing ingredient
When foreign players join Premier League clubs, it often takes them anywhere from a few games to an entire season to acclimate to the English game, yet in less than a month Costa has become the single most unstoppable force in the Premier League.
"He is one of the best strikers at this moment in football," Mourinho told BBC Sport. "He is a special player."
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says summer signing Diego Costa is a "special player". #CFC http://t.co/kVFcJWxKVk pic.twitter.com/eXmqvtq8dT — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 13, 2014
His goal-scoring prowess has transformed the side that finished third in the league last season. To put his efforts into perspective, he has already scored two more league goals than Fernando Torres and Demba Ba both managed throughout the entirety of last season, and only two fewer than Samuel Eto'o.
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