5 reasons why Conte should axe Chelsea’s Diego Costa this summer

Since the announcement that Antonio Conte will succeed Guus Hiddink as full time Chelsea manager, rumours have been rampant in the tavern over who might be leaving the Bridge as Conte looks to make his mark on this Chelsea team.

A number of incomings and outgoings are expected this summer, as Conte rebuilds a faltering team in his own image.

A number of names have been linked with the exit door since his arrival, with Diego Costa a main target with the press.

You can definitely see why the links are being made; We think Diego Costa might be a shoe in for a Chelsea exit this summer.

Hit Conte below to see FIVE reasons he has to axe Diego Costa next season!

Atletico fitter and wiser as they plot revenge for Lisbon

Two years on from their defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League final, Atletico Madrid are back on the same stage against the same rival - wiser and determined not to be haunted by the memories of Lisbon.

Sergio Ramos' 93rd-minute equalising header in 2014 snatched a maiden European Cup from their grasp, and Atletico were overpowered 4-1 in extra time. The fatigue from a gruelling season had finally caught up with them.

Seven days before that final, Atletico had played an energy-sapping 1-1 draw with Barcelona to clinch their first La Liga title in 18 years, and celebrations continued into the next week. Real had an extra week to prepare.

"When they equalised, we knew it was going to be really difficult for us because of our physical state and we were going to struggle," Gabi, the Atletico captain, said recently. "Real were the better team in extra time."

Atletico's top scorer, Diego Costa, was forced off by a hamstring problem after nine minutes, forcing head coach Diego Simeone into an early substitution. Key midfielder Arda Turan never recovered in time from injury to even start.

Atletico's ailing physical state then contrasts with their condition approaching Saturday's final. Simeone can call on a full squad.

Real have mostly avoided injuries, too, missing only defender Raphael Varane. But Atletico have had an extra week to rest players after dropping out of the title race when they lost at Levante in their penultimate game.

"We're in better shape, we're better prepared and many of us know what it's like to play in a Champions League final," said Gabi, one of six members of the squad for the final who remain at the club.

"You can't erase losing a Champions League final," Gabi said. "But we have a great opportunity to play another one and make history for this club."

EPL: United move 1 point behind City in top-4 fight, Sunderland thump Chelsea

Manchester United moved closer to the top four after beating Norwich while Sunderland moved out of relegation zone after beating Chelsea 3-2 on Saturday.

Manchester United moved closer to the top four by beating relegation-threatened Norwich 1-0 on Saturday in the English Premier League.

United, which lost Anthony Martial in the warm-up following a leg injury, scored the only goal at Carrow Road in the 72nd minute when Juan Mata drove in a near-post finish from Wayne Rooney's assist.

"Today was about winning," said Mata. "We do everything for the fans. They have had a difficult season but deserve happiness."

Chasing a Champions League spot, United remains in fifth place but is now just one point behind rival Manchester City, which hosts third-placed Arsenal on Sunday.

Norwich, which hasn't scored in four games, was unable to make any real impact on the match and remains 19th on 31 points with two games left. Its fate seems almost certain after relegation rival Sunderland twice came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-2, leaving Norwich four points from safety.

Newcastle drew 0-0 at Aston Villa and dropped into the relegation zone. Norwich and Newcastle will both be relegated if Sunderland beats Everton on Wednesday

"We have to keep fighting. We have to stop making errors but it is a bit late in the day," said Norwich manager Alex Neil.

United needed to win to keep pace with rivals Man City, and was rarely troubled in the final third.

"We keep the pressure on our competitors and hope we can achieve a Champions League place," United manager Louis Van Gaal said. "We want to play at the highest level but it is still tough."

Sunderland out of EPL relegation zone after beating Chelsea
Sunderland took a huge step in its fight for English Premier League survival, as it came from 2-1 down to beat Chelsea 3-2 on Saturday.

Sunderland moved into 17th place, out of the relegation zone, and was one win away from safety after Norwich lost to Manchester United and Newcastle only drew at last-placed Aston Villa.

Chelsea, which remained mid-table, finished with 10 men after John Terry received his second yellow card in injury time.

Diego Costa gave Chelsea an early lead, and Wahbi Khazri equalized with a sublime goal minutes from the break. But Nemanja Matic stroked the ball through Vito Mannone's legs for Chelsea to retake the lead right on halftime.

Sunderland's comeback started in the 67th as Fabio Borini finished to make it 2-2, shortly followed by club top-scorer Jermain Defoe getting the winner in the 70th.

Sunderland goalkeeper Mannone made several impressive saves to secure the victory for his team.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce said "the character and determination has shone through, along with the quality of our finishing at last."

Spain boss says Diego Costa has been 'demonised'

Chelsea striker Diego Costa remains one of the least liked players in English football, and his antics at the Everton game in the FA Cup - including a "biting" incident with Gareth Barry that the Everton player himself denied from his own volition - certainly didn't help his case. It was rumoured that Costa's absence from the latest Spanish national team call-up could have been motivated by his attitude in the Everton game, but manager Vicente del Bosque vehemently denied that.

"From what I've seen, they have demonised Costa a lot and maybe that's why [there are some who don't want him in the squad] but the last episode isn't so serious, honestly."

"He was putting in effort to play because it was Chelsea's last chance to get something and he plays with great excitement. That's a good part of his approach. He also has other things that are bad, but I don't want either to change."

"If we called him it's because we already know him, but I don't like that he does ugly things, but the other day wasn't like that."

Del Bosque criticized Costa for his antics before, so he wouldn't be shy to hamper on the player again if he felt the need to do so. It's certainly good news for Costa that his boss at the international level doesn't feel as if his attitude doesn't have a place within the squad, unlike other peers in Spain.

The manager also said that Spain's squad for the Euros could change depending on the fitness state and availability of the players, with Costa in the fray to make a return if he's fit to play in the competition.

"I imagine [the tournament squad] will have quite a few of those who are there now, but I don't think it will be exactly the same. There's two months ahead and there can be changes or injuries or some of those who are injured now could recover, like Santi Cazorla, Vitolo, Andres Iniesta, Costa."

Guus Hiddink: FA "go for" Chelsea star Diego Costa

Diego Costa could yet have his current ban extended by the FA and Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink is not happy with the authorities.

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink has accused the Football Association of targeting Diego Costa for disciplinary punishment.

Costa will sit out Saturday's London derby against Premier League high-flyers West Ham at Stamford Bridge after he was sent off for an altercation with Gareth Barry during last weekend's FA Cup sixth-round defeat at Everton.

Television replays of the incident that resulted in the striker's second yellow card suggested he might have bitten Barry, although both players later denied that was the case.

Costa was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FA over??a gesture he??aimed towards the Everton fans at half-time.

He could still be hit with an extension to his ban through a charge of improper conduct that relates to his behaviour directly after receiving a red card for the Barry clash.

Hiddink is uneasy over??the varying rap sheet with which his forward, who was left out of Spain's international squad on Friday, is being confronted.

"First, everyone wants to get on his kiss or 'bite', and Barry made a very good statement by saying what has not happened in this case,"??said the veteran Dutchman.

"Maybe there was a little bit of searching for where we can get Diego, and there he was frustrated.

"If you cannot prove the bite sometimes, in my opinion, they are looking a bit for where they can chase him. The officials [the FA administration].

"He is a bit marked in this. I know it???s difficult. If the player is frequently bit by bit provoked, you [opponents] play a bit with that.

"It's part of the game, how far can you get someone out of his comfort zone and into the red zone?

"I have said I cannot guarantee Diego will not explode but I sometimes get the impression they [the authorities] go for him.

"What I smell and didn't like, and what I spoke about with Diego this week, is we both had the feeling they could not charge him on the kiss, but 'let's see what else we can get him for.'"

Chelsea returns to form with 3-0 win at Palace

LONDON 

Chelsea displayed some of the swagger from last season's title-winning campaign in beating Crystal Palace 3-0 in the Premier League to continue its resurgence under caretaker manager Guus Hiddink on Sunday.

An early, match-ending injury to Eden Hazard didn't stop Chelsea romping to victory at a rain-soaked Selhurst Park, with Oscar putting the champions ahead in the 29th minute before Willian — with a long-range effort — and Diego Costa scored in the second half.

Chelsea has put up the worst title defense in Premier League history, but is unbeaten in four games since Hiddink replaced the fired Jose Mourinho and climbed to 14th with this win. The Blues are 10 points off fifth-place Manchester United.

"That was the Chelsea of last year, I think," Chelsea captain John Terry said. "Overall, as well as the goals, it was different class."

Palace started the weekend in fifth place, and had been undefeated in six matches, but looked short of an attacking threat without injured midfielders Yannick Bolasie and Yohan Cabaye and striker Connor Wickham.

Chelsea's players, on the other hand, appear revitalized and are playing with more freedom since Mourinho's departure. No one more so than Costa, who set up the opener before getting the goal his all-round performance deserved.

The Spain striker ran onto Cesc Fabregas' through-ball, cut in and squared a pass for Oscar to sidefoot home into an empty net. Fabregas, back from illness, formed an effective central-midfield partnership with John Obi Mikel, with Nemanja Matic dropped to the bench.

By then, Hazard had hobbled off with an apparent groin injury in the 16th minute in another blow to last season's player of the year in English football, who is yet to score this campaign.

Willian has been Chelsea's best player this season and the Brazil winger came into his own in the second half, doubling the lead in the 60th by rifling a rising shot into the roof of the net from 22 meters.

Willian then dribbled into the area and sent in a low shot that was only parried by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey out to Costa, whose tap-in deflected into the net off Joel Ward in the 66th and sealed Chelsea's biggest league win in almost a year.

"It's unfortunate what's happened," Terry said, referring to Mourinho's exit. "We feel like we've let everyone down. We are where we are, and slowly climbing the Premier League table.

"Guus has come in, picked things up and we've had to go again."

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/sports/article52818325.html#storylink=cpy

Football: Hiddink off the mark as Chelsea crush Palace

Guus Hiddink enjoyed his first victory since taking over as Chelsea interim manager as the troubled Premier League champions crushed Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday.

LONDON: Guus Hiddink enjoyed his first victory since taking over as Chelsea interim manager as the troubled Premier League champions crushed Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday (Jan 3).

After draws against Watford and Manchester United following his arrival as short-term replacement for the sacked Jose Mourinho, Hiddink was at last able to celebrate three points at Selhurst Park.

Oscar opened the scoring in the first half before Willian's cracker and a Diego Costa strike extended Chelsea's unbeaten run since Mourinho's departure to four matches.

In such turmoil for much of a season ruined by the breakdown of Mourinho's relationship with his squad, the Blues are slowly getting back in the groove under Hiddink and moved six points clear of the relegation zone after their first away league success in eight attempts.

After climbing into contention for a European place, Palace's first defeat in seven matches left Alan Pardew's men without a win or a goal in their last three games.

With torrential rain lashing Selhurst Park, Palace forward Wilfried Zaha went close early on with a low strike that skimmed off the slick pitch.

Eden Hazard saw a long-range effort deflected wide at the conclusion of Chelsea's first serious attack, but the Belgium playmaker began limping immediately after the shot.

Hazard, lambasted by Mourinho for not trying to play on when injured at Leicester last month, briefly carried on but in the 15th minute he decided he needed to come off.

While Hazard's commitment to the cause has been questioned in the past, on this occasion the 24-year-old seemed in genuine discomfort.

Palace defender Damien Delaney had a pair of headers saved by Thibaut Courtois as the hosts tried to take advantage of Chelsea's tepid start.

But crucially Palace striker Frazier Campbell scuffed wide from Jason Puncheon's cross midway through the half and Hiddink's team finally awoke from their slumber to snatch the lead in the 29th minute.

Decisive

Hiddink had made two changes from Monday's draw at United as Costa returned from suspension and Cesc Fabregas came in for Nemanja Matic. Both repaid their Dutchman's faith with decisive contributions to the opener. Fabregas was the architect with a pass that sent Costa racing away from Delaney down the right edge of the Palace area.

Looking up, Costa unselfishly ignored the chance to shoot himself and, with goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey out of position, the Spain striker pulled the ball back to Oscar, who had the simple task of slotting home from close-range.

Hiddink had called for players other than Costa to take the responsibility of scoring and Oscar's fifth goal of the season was a well-timed response from the Brazilian.

Cesar Azpilicueta almost made it two when he beat the Palace offside trap, surging clear to test Hennessey with a powerful strike that drew a fine stop from the Palace keeper.

While Palace were typically tenacious in their tackling, they were clearly missing the class of France midfielder Yohan Cabaye and influential winger Yannick Bolasie, absent through suspension and injury respectively.

Kurt Zouma should have doubled Chelsea's lead when he rose highest to meet Willian's free-kick, but the defender couldn't keep his header on target.

However, Zaha was unable to summon the power or accuracy to beat Courtois from a promising position and Willian made Palace pay in the 60th minute.

When Scott Dann tried to block Oscar's progress the loose ball ran to Willian and the Brazil winger smashed a superb strike high into the roof of the net from 20 yards.

Costa wrapped up Chelsea's biggest league win of the season six minutes later when he claimed his seventh goal of the season from close-range after Hennessey pushed Willian's shot into his path.