Chelsea fired three past Leicester City in an emphatic victory at Stamford Bridge last weekend, yet it was Diego Costa who once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The Spaniard, who scored the opener, was involved in a heated row with Antonio Conte in the second half and demanded he was substituted by the Italian.
It was originally thought Costa wanted to be withdrawn for the sake of not receiving a fifth yellow card of the season, but reports now suggest he had simply had enough of being yelled at from the sidelines.
Chelsea have since warned their Spanish striker of his actions, with Conte also explaining how he decides who is substituted.
“Costa is an important player for us and his passion is important for the team,” he said, per The Sun. “He must transfer this in every single minute of the game.
“I decided. I always take the responsibility in every situation. It’s always my decision whether or not a player is substituted.”
The dust has now settled on Costa and Conte’s argument, but Marca have now revealed they also came to blows in Chelsea’s changing room in the aftermath.
Still raging from the earlier incident, Costa reportedly told the ex-Juventus manager to ‘get him out’ of Chelsea if he’s discontent with his performances, also warning him that it’s ‘the last time’ he’ll be pointed at from the touchline.
This is the latest in a string of coming together between Costa and Conte, once again raising concerns that the striker is unhappy in west London and desires a move elsewhere, namely to former employers Atletico Madrid.
And what a shame it would be if the 28-year-old was forced to leave having scored seven goals in eight Premier League games thus far, marking a phenomenal start to the new season.
Chelsea currently sits fifth and three points behind league leaders Manchester City, and were it not for Costa’s goals, they might have found themselves lower in the table.
All eyes will now be fixated on Sunday’s clash, where the Blues take on Manchester United at Stamford Bridge and will be reunited with Jose Mourinho.
Costa and co would love nothing more than to secure victory over their former manager following a season where Mourinho publicly criticized a number of Chelsea’s players.
Conte wants respect for his Portuguese counterpart, though, and has called on fans to give him a “great reception”.
“Jose Mourinho was here for many years and he won a lot with this club and I think it is right to have a great reception,” he said.