What Arsene Wenger called Diego Costa after Mertesacker red in Chelsea win at Arsenal

ARSENE WENGER labelled Diego Costa "good at getting players sent off" after Chelsea knocked the title hopes of 10-man Arsenal with a 1-0 win at the Emirates.

 

Arsene Wenger has harsh words for Diego Costa

 

Per Mertesacker was judged to be the last man when he challenged the Spain striker on his way through to goal and was promptly shown a red card by referee Mark Clattenburg. Moments later Costa scored the only goal of the game from close range.

Earlier this season at Stamford Bridge, it was centre-back partner Gabriel who was given his marching orders after an altercation with Costa and afterwards Wenger said: "He has got two players sent off this season.

"I am accusing him of nothing but those are the facts. That is part of a striker's game of course, and Costa is very good at that.

 

"The red card was quick and harsh, but I have to watch it again. I didn't know if Costa was offside or not, or if Per Mertesacker touched him or not. I don't know.

"It was frustrating, of course, but it's a decision we have to take on the chin and get on with our job.

"We did that. The team were focused and resilient, fighting to the last season. Despite the disappointing results, we should have given more belief to our game by that performance."

 

Six points out of six against Arsenal this season still leaves Chelsea 14 points behind Tottenham, but again captain John Terry is talking about making a charge for a top-four finish.

"It is a good three points and gets us up the league," he said. "We've drawn too many of late so we needed to pick up three points but mentally we were sound and on top.

"We are delighted with the win. Anything is doable. Everybody is beating everybody else. It is a tough league and if we put a run together we have a good chance of fourth. We will fight until there are no points to play for."

 

Certainly manager Guus Hiddink, who felt it was an "obvious" red card, is not about to argue with him.

"If the captain says yes then we'll follow the captain!" he said. "I'm very pleased with the attitude of the team. The way the players played in the right way. We weren't just reactive, we were proactive."

None more so than man-of-the-match Cesc Fabregas, who showed touches of his old self on his return to the Emirates.

"I am nearly there," Fabregas said. "I am feeling sharp and my brain is quicker than the last few months. I feel under pressure but I am in more control. In the last year this is the best moment for me."