Costa denies Arsenal top spot in Chelsea win

It summed up Arsenal‘s derby day. With or without Jose Mourinho, Chelsea have remained a tough nut to crack for Wenger’s men – at least in recent memory.

It was not the only con-solation. It was that kind of game. “For us it’s important to be top of the league, to achieve three points and to be strong”.

“And he always wanted to provoke them”.

The statistics are bad. While they are far from mathematically eliminated from reaching Champions League qualification, the odds are certainly stacked against them.

Arsenal have collected four red cards in their last five Premier League games against Chelsea.

This time, Clattenburg did the right thing.

Wenger also commented on Costa’s role in the red card, but said that he did not know if there was contact or not in the challenge.

The Arsenal captain was exposed.

But Arsenal lacked precision in the final third, Joel Campbell miscuing a volley from Theo Walcott’s cross and Mathieu Flamini slipping as he attempted to shoot, and the best chances fell to Chelsea.

“I can not comment on whether Costa was offside or if Mertesacker touched him, but you have to take it on the chin and get on with it”.

Fabregas attempted more passes than any outfield player and, even while playing as the most advanced midfielder, was joint level with Mikel on most completed passes. This was a game when John Terry was imperious, Fabregas incisive, Costa irrepressible. However, this win doesn’t mean they should start talking about their designs on a top four push. What a difference one game can make.

But the 66-year-old was still satisfied with the performance of his players. Their recovery remains a slow burner but the flame is flickering.

Few would have forgotten the events that unfolded when these two met earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge, where a heated battle between Costa and Laurent Koscielny saw the Frenchman controversially sent-off.

“The referee was very quick to take the red card out”, Wenger is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had to sacrifice an attacking player to bring on another defender when Per Mertesacker was sent off for a professional foul, but I think his choice shocked everyone. It spoke of damage limitation.

Hiddink played down injury fears over Costa, who was replaced in the second half.

Instead, he failed to react. He should have let Costa score.

For Arsenal, Flamini slipped when given a sight of goal and then volleyed over.

Arsenal shot themselves in the foot once again against Chelsea.

Arsenal played well and showed great character with 10 men against Chelsea, but taking striker Olivier Giroud off after 22 minutes was a mistake that cost them the chance to get something from the game. The question is: has he now inflicted the most damaging?