• Premier League

Costa 'knows how to control himself'

ESPN staff
December 16, 2014
Burley's Boiling Point: Diving

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has defended team-mate Diego Costa after the striker picked up his seventh booking of the season in Saturday's 2-0 win over Hull.

Costa, who has scored 11 goals in 10 Premier League games, has been criticised for what has been perceived to be an over-aggressive approach this season - a situation Jose Mourinho finds "unbelievable".

However, Ivanovic believes the striker's feisty approach to the game is one of his strong points.

"He knows how to control himself very well," Ivanovic told Chelsea's official website. "He never sleeps in the game, he's not quiet, he wants to be a star, and he wants to be the player around which everything happens in the game.

"It's good for the team when he's working and you can see he is always trying to win duels and look positive on the pitch. He is set up like this for the team, it's his style.

"He's a very nice and funny guy. He likes to make jokes and I think when he improves his English he'll have even more influence in the squad."

Ivanovic said it was also important Chelsea bounced back from suffering their first defeat of the season at Newcastle by seeing off struggling Hull at Stamford Bridge.

"It was very difficult and we expected that," added Ivanovic. "It was a real example of how difficult every game in the Premier League is.

"They have a lot of strong and powerful guys. They played with a three [at the back], a different shape to usual, and we had to adapt to that. It was a really physical game with a lot of duels.

"For this kind of game you need a lot of movement to win the game. It's a very important three points after the defeat at Newcastle."

Diego Costa has picked up seven bookings this season © Getty Images
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