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5 reasons Manchester City will catch Chelsea

By David Cambridge

SWANSEA, WALES - SEPTEMBER 24: Manager of Manchester City, Josep Guardiola reacts during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester City at The Liberty Stadium on September 24, 2016 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)
SWANSEA, WALES - SEPTEMBER 24: Manager of Manchester City, Josep Guardiola reacts during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester City at The Liberty Stadium on September 24, 2016 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 17: Diego Costa of Chelsea (L) is shown a yellow card by Referee Jonathan Moss (C) during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park on December 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 17: Diego Costa of Chelsea (L) is shown a yellow card by Referee Jonathan Moss (C) during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park on December 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

Flaky Costa

Having inherited a group of players who looked more likely to get relegated than win the title just a year ago, Antonio Conte deserves all the plaudits coming his way. Much of the Chelsea’s fine early season form, however is also attributable to their talismanic figurehead forward.

Diego Costa has hit 13 goals from 17 games so far this term, and it’s not just his ability to find the net that makes him so good: the Blues’ number 19 is the epitome of a modern-day striker, combining deft movement and aerial prowess with relentless running and an eye for a pass.

There’s just one problem though: Costa carries a reputation for being somewhat unreliable – and, if we’re totally honest, it’s not entirely undeserved. The striker was struck by a series of niggly injuries (admittedly, hardly his fault) that helped curtail Atletico’s Champions League campaign in his final season in Spain, and referees in England are no strangers to his fiery temperament. In fact, over the weekend he picked up a needless yellow card – his fifth of the campaign (and probably not his last) – that will see him miss Chelsea’s Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth.

Under Conte, Costa has for the most part managed to stay on the straight and narrow… so far, anyway. The fact is when so much of your title aspirations hinge on one single player, and that one player happens to be something of a loose cannon, your rivals always have a slight chance of catching you.

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