Costa strike leaves Reds reeling
Print Edition
DIEGO Costa scored his 10th goal of the campaign as English Premier League leader Chelsea continued its unbeaten start to the season by winning 2-1 at Liverpool yesterday.
Bidding to avenge its costly 0-2 loss in last season’s corresponding fixture in April, scene of captain Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip, Liverpool took an early lead through Emre Can’s deflected shot.
But Gary Cahill equalized almost immediately for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea before Costa slammed home 23 minutes from time to silence Anfield and provisionally increase his side’s lead at the summit to seven points.
Runner-up to Manchester City last season, Liverpool has now lost three successive games in all competitions and trails Chelsea by a huge 15 points.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers restored a host of the first-team players controversially rested for the midweek loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League and saw his team go ahead in the ninth minute.
Can had a shot deflected over by John Terry in the first minute, but Chelsea did not heed the warning and when he took aim from similar range moments later, the ball cannoned off Cahill and into the net.
But within five minutes Chelsea was level, after a goal that required the aid of goal-line technology.
Simon Mignolet parried from Terry at a corner and although the Liverpool goalkeeper got his body fully behind Cahill’s follow-up, Hawk-Eye replays showed that the Belgian had carried the ball over the line.
While Chelsea finished the first half strongly, it was indebted to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for getting down sharply to thwart Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling either side of half-time.
Having been embroiled in a physical tussle with Martin Skrtel for much of the game, Costa provided a reminder of his predatory instincts to settle the game in the 67th.
After eluding Coutinho on the Chelsea left, Cesar Azpilicueta saw his cross pushed out by Mignolet, but Costa was in the right place to rattle a half-volley into the net from close range.
Liverpool had a late penalty appeal turned down when a shot from Gerrard hit Cahill on the arm.
Second-place Southampton will attempt to return to within four points of Chelsea when it hosts Leicester City later in the day. City, which started the weekend six points adrift of top spot in third place, visits Queens Park Rangers, while Manchester United entertains Crystal Palace.
United manager Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, has warned that striker Radamel Falcao could face a lengthy absence from his top-heavy side as it struggles to find a winning formula.
Colombia striker Falcao, who is earning 285,000 pounds (US$452,400) per week, according to media reports, has made five appearances, scoring once, since his season-long loan move to Old Trafford from Monaco on transfer deadline day.
The 28-year-old, who missed this year’s World Cup with a serious knee ligament injury, would be absent from the United side for the third game in a row yesterday because of a calf problem .
Van Gaal had dropped Falcao prior to his injury in favor of using just one striker — Robin Van Persie.
Now the Dutch coach, who has tinkered with formations so far this season but has decided to use one less attacker in recent weeks to counteract a leaky defense, says Falcao may sit on the bench even if he is fit to play.
“I cannot say when Falcao will be back. It depends on the progress on his injury. It’s his calf,” Van Gaal said on Friday. “The problem for Falcao is because of balance in the game.
“I cannot judge now because he is injured and I changed him not because of his performance but because of the balance of the team, which is much more important than the individual.”
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