Arsenal count the Costa in defeat to Chelsea

Matt Haynes | January 24, 2016

Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea

• Mertesacker dismissed for Arsenal
• Costa opens scoring
• Chelsea hold out for win

Visitors start fast

Arsenal, 15/8 to win the Premier League, may have been on a great run for the majority of the season, though normal service resumed at the Emirates, with the Gunners, once more losing to fierce rivals, yet, lowly Chelsea.

Seemingly not yet psychologically strong enough to overcome the record the Blues hold against them, Arsenal, again crumbled under the pressure, with a win needed in order to regain Premier League top spot.

As such, Chelsea flew out of the blocks with Willian and the returning Cesc Fabregas pulling all of the strings, with Arsenal appearing bystanders.

Gunners crumble

Midway through the half, the tone of the game changed, with Willian breaking again, releasing Diego Costa, who cut across Per Mertesacker, only for the German to slide in, clipping Costa in the process. Fans would have been forgiven for thinking they were at a West End play, for the amount of revolutions the centre forward made across the ground a clearly fabricated yell of anguish.

Subsequently, Mertesacker was sent off, Arsene Wenger bringing Gabriel Paulista on for the disgruntled Olivier Giroud to compensate.