Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has called out Chelsea’s Diego Costa for his temperament following their clash at the Etihad over the weekend.
City left the match with a 3-0 win, as Fernandinho scored the final goal for Manuel Pellegrini’s side in a very impressive performance for the Brazilian midfielder.
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One of the most talked about matchups throughout the game was that of Fernandinho and Diego Costa, as the two were locked in a physical battle for 90 minutes, highlighted by a clash towards the end of the first half.
As the pair went up for a header, Fernandinho caught Costa with an elbow to the back of the head, leaving the striker bloodied on the floor in need of medical attention.
Minutes later after the halftime whistle, Costa needed to be held back by his teammates in the tunnel as he tried to confront Fernandinho about the challenge. When asked about the altercation, Fernandinho said his elbow was unintentional, and that the Chelsea striker is always looking to get under the skin of his opposition.It was an accident and the nature of the game. It happens in football.
He [Costa] is always trying to offend the opposition, but I keep calm and keep playing. I just didn’t want to fight or have any confrontation and just to play for my team.”
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Last season, Costa received eight yellow cards in the Premier League, and was suspended three matches for stomping on Liverpool’s Emre Can in the League Cup. He can often be seen banging the ground in frustration after failing to receive a call, and can get on a referee’s bad side rather quickly.
His temper was on full display against Manchester City, but Fernandinho got the last laugh.