‘Clever’ Costa Scores After Mertesacker Red

“He is a serial cheat and he gets away with it”, Hill-Wood told the Daily Star of Costa.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa scored the only goal of the game shortly after Per Mertesacker was sent off as Arsenal missed the chance to return to the top of the Premier League table this afternoon.

Arsenal’s potency suffered after manager Arsene Wenger chose to replace striker Olivier Giroud and introduce defender Gabriel to compensate for Mertesacker’s dismissal.

Although not having the armband is unlikely to have impacted on Mertesacker’s game – which ended after just 18 minutes as he was dismissed for making a challenge on Diego Costa – it could be argued that it could have affected Walcott’s performance.

The Frenchman declined to address Costa’s role further, but rued his side’s inability to make the most of the opportunity against a Chelsea side whose title defence has fallen apart this season.

“That’s because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him”. By failing to score, Arsenal have now gone six league games without a goal against the Blues.

He said: “Personally I think the referee should have sent him [Costa] off for diving”.

Guidolin added: “In this moment I am very happy”.

“I think we had a good attitude and fantastic spirit despite the negative result today, I think we should come out [of this] with even more belief”.

In addition, it has now been 614 minutes since Arsenal last scored against Chelsea in the league.

“I’d have to watch it again”.

Captain John Terry insists a top four place is still “do-able” and Hiddink said: “When the captain says that then I will follow the captain”.

Mertesacker was shown a straight red card for felling Costa after he had latched onto a through-ball from Willian.

“It was a fact of a game and a decision of a referee”.

“He is important, because he’s focusing on his first job”, the Dutchman said on Chelsea TV.

While Arsenal were left three points below leaders Leicester City, Chelsea are seven points above the relegation zone.

Hiddink also revealed that Costa, withdrawn in the 68th minute, would undergo tests on a knee injury.

This was a notable win for Swansea as it meant they had recorded back-to-back league successes for the first time this season following last week s 1-0 defeat of Watford.