Costa In Control  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday thanks to goals from Kurt Zouma and Eden Hazard but it was Gabriel’s sending off that turned the game. With Diego Costa involved in that incident, we look at the Chelsea striker’s ability to revel in the eye of the storm…

They yelled their support throughout and stood in acclaim when he was substituted. Indeed, they were still waiting at the gates and chanting his name as his car pulled away from Stamford Bridge. Just another day's work for Diego Costa.

The game was evenly poised but in need of a spark when the Chelsea striker instigated its decisive moment just before half-time. After twice clashing with Laurent Koscielny, an argument ensued with Gabriel Paulista that culminated in the Arsenal defender kicking out.

Gabriel duly received a red card and Arsene Wenger was left to bemoan yet another defeat to Jose Mourinho. But it was Costa who was the focus of Wenger's ire afterwards. "He took advantage of the naivety of my team today," said the Gunners boss.

One could easily imagine the sniggering within the Chelsea dressing room at that remark. Job done. Costa is often portrayed as a hot head and it's true that he could have seen red on Saturday. But he hasn't been sent off since 2012. That's 122 games and 36 yellow cards ago.

"He will do the same next week and the week after and he will get away with it," said Wenger. "He can do what he wants and everyone else gets sent off. He always gets away with it. Quite honestly, it's surprising. Why does Diego Costa stay on the pitch?"

Perhaps the answer is that despite appearances, Costa is in control. It was Gabriel who was out of his comfort zone at Stamford Bridge. He was playing Costa's game and he lost. This was a masterclass in malevolence and nobody should be surprised that Mourinho loved it.

"I played my first derby in September 2000," he explained afterwards. "Benfica against Sporting. And I told my players before the game that to win derbies you need emotional control. Without emotional control, forget it, you won't win. It's a basic thing of the game.

"If you want to speak about Diego Costa with me, it is just to say he played how he has to play and that's why you have full stadiums and you sell to televisions around the world for millions and millions because the game has to be played like that."

How. He. Has. To. Play. Each word was accentuated for added effect. This was no rebuke. Instead, there was a tap on the chest to indicate Costa's heart and a brief segue into his own love of rugby for the "dedication and passion" shown. Keep it up, Diego, was the sentiment.

Mourinho is said to thrive on conflict and it seems that Costa is the same. The sight of his striker antagonising Arsenal was welcomed. This was his team rediscovering itself.

Warming to the theme, Mourinho described Costa as "fantastic" and mischievously suggested that he was the man of the match. Don't doubt he meant it. It's no coincidence that Costa's most controversial performance of the season was also Chelsea's best.

There were just two shots - one weak, one blocked - but Costa's contribution cannot be evaluated in such simple terms. "He's not just about the goals," Mourinho said when he first signed. "It's about his defensive work, mentality and ambition." That remains the case.

There was lots of evidence of that on Saturday. An early tackle on Hector Bellerin signalled the intent and despite Costa, incongruously, not being penalised for a single foul, Arsenal's defenders were hassled throughout. He was quite literally leading [the press] from the front.

"My attacking players," said Mourinho, "they lost the ball and then they recovered the ball, they lost the ball and then they pressed opponents. With this work it's easy to be a defender because you sit there and your attacking players do the job for you."

There is a sense in which Costa is also doing his manager's job for him. John Terry has so often acted as Mourinho's eyes, ears and mouthpiece on the pitch but Costa more obviously embodies his spirit. Win at all costs.

That's what Costa did against Arsenal. His afternoon was eventually brought to an end, not by referee Mike Dean but by his manager, after 81 minutes - withdrawn to an anti-hero's reception with the match all but won. Costa nevertheless looked crestfallen.

Mourinho's decision could be easily explained as an act of protecting a player who was on a booking and still battling away but the message from the man himself was clear. He was fine to continue. And why wouldn't he be? After all, this was just another day's work for Diego Costa.