
Chelsea
striker Diego Costa has paid tribute to his team-mates for his flying start
to life in the Premier League, but concedes his goals will dry up at some
point.
The summer signing from Atletico Madrid took his tally to seven in four
games with a hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Swansea on Saturday.
Costa admits his rich vein of form is beyond his own expectations and he
knows that his red-hot run will come to an end at some point.
"I try to play in the best manner, and hopefully things will continue like
this, but there will be a moment when I cannot score. That is football,"
said Costa.
"Every striker has their way of playing and their strengths and a different
team behind them. That is very important.
"If you do not have the team behind you, then you can't do things on your
own. It all depends on the team.
"I am adapting very well, although it's not just me. The key is the group
that we have. It is like a family. The squad and all the people around the
team are united in our cause."
Costa also warned Premier League defenders he is ready for whatever they
throw at him as they try to stop him this season.
"I play in the fashion that I have to play. If I have to have a physical
battle, then I can fight.
"If I have to play with quality, I can do that too."
Jose Mourinho also praised Costa's character for playing through the pain
barrier after being a doubt for the Swansea game following an injury
sustained on international duty with Spain.
"He was a risk and a doubt before Everton [two weeks ago], a risk and a
doubt before Spain's game [last week], and a risk and a doubt before this
game, and he played all three," said Mourinho.
"The most important thing of a player's character is what affects his
performance as a player. Nobody can stop him. I've tried. I tried to be
sure, but he keeps going.
"He is a risk and a doubt again for next Wednesday [against Schalke] because
of an accumulation of matches, but nobody can stop him.
"It is not about the modern player, it is about the modern society, where
people tell them to be selfish, in the sense of themselves first and the
team second. But with Diego it is, 'The team first - they need me - and me
second. I am ready to go for the team'.
"When you get guys with this mentality they become special and they can be
an influence to the people around them. He is a leader, who knows exactly
what the team needs and is ready to give it."