Mourinho mounts Costa defence

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has defended Diego Costa, insisting the striker's combative reputation is unfair.

Mourinho plans to select Costa for Sunday's Premier League clash at Manchester City despite a continuing hamstring problem.

The Blues boss rejected the suggestion Costa goes after trouble and insists the striker is merely seeking goals after netting seven in his first four Premier League games.

"This is a completely fake point," Mourinho said.

"Maybe it's a point based on what happened in previous seasons, not what happened here. Here he got the right advice, the right education.

"The referees are there to see the provocation. Diego is trying to play. He's not afraid of aggressive opponents.

"He doesn't let other players intimidate him. He's not there to provoke people. He's there to play football and to score goals."

"He's being completely fair and giving zero problems to referees and behaving very, very well and just worried about playing his football" - Jose Mourinho on Diego Costa

The £32million signing from Atletico Madrid was booked against Everton, whose manager Roberto Martinez criticised the Brazil-born Spain forward for goading Seamus Coleman during the Blues' 6-3 win, after being shown a yellow card for diving against Burnley when it seemed like a penalty should be awarded.

"He got two yellow cards," Mourinho said. "One is completely unfair because it was a penalty. The second one because he was provoked for the whole game and he had a little reaction.

"He's being completely fair and giving zero problems to referees and behaving very, very well and just worried about playing his football."

Costa and fellow summer recruit Cesc Fabregas seem to have already developed a fine understanding, the midfielder laying on six assists in his first four Chelsea games.

Fabregas is having the impact Mourinho hoped, having recruited the former Arsenal captain despite the Gunners reportedly having first option if Barcelona were to sell.

"The surprise for me was not that he didn't go to Arsenal, the surprise for me was that he was leaving," Mourinho said.

"I thought he was going to stay at Barcelona. I was looking at him as the natural successor of this generation of players of Barcelona, like Xavi.

"We had other faces in mind, other players on standby, in case we couldn't get him. We went without fear. We went trying to get him. It's possible, it's possible. It's not possible, we move on.

"One of the reasons he's so important for us is exactly because he can play in any position in midfield.

"Even in Barcelona he was playing as a nine, their style of nine. Sometimes he was playing from the left wing too.

"He can play in many positions. It depends what you want from the game. What is your plan? Where do you think he can have more influence in the game?"

Fabregas, at 27, is in the prime of his career and, despite run-ins with Chelsea during his spell at Arsenal, the Blues boss had no second thoughts about signing the Spain midfielder.

"He was always in trouble," Mourinho said.

"When he was at Arsenal he was always fighting Chelsea, and now he plays for us.

"He was just a young guy trying to make the best for Arsenal and at that time Chelsea was the strongest team. Just normal competition.

"Supporters just want players to play well for his club and to show commitment. I don't think it's any problem."

The impact of Costa and Fabregas has been impressive, but Mourinho has been just as keen to point out the contributions of his less-heralded players.

Mourinho added: "I think that Diego is doing fantastic and the numbers are obviously great. Fabregas the same.

"His numbers as a midfield player are fantastic. The number of assists, the quality he brings to the game.

"For them to be playing so well the team is playing so well. (Branislav) Ivanovic, (Nemanja) Matic, (Eden) Hazard, they're playing well.

"The team is playing well."

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