Don't mess with me, Diego Costa warns Manchester City ahead of Chelsea clash

The message is loud, clear and unequivocal: Do not wind up Diego Costa. Chelsea’s new £32million striker faces his biggest test so far this season when he comes up against Manchester City’s brick-wall defence this afternoon.

So far his introduction into the rough and tumble of Premier League life has been relatively sheltered, with Burnley, Leicester and Swansea among the early opponents. But it will be a different induction for Costa at the Etihad, where the guile and experience of seasoned defenders such as Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichelis and Bacary Sagna will provide a much tougher obstacle.

It is not a prospect that worries Costa, however. The tough Spaniard, who has already struck seven goals this season, has an aggressive and direct style that frequently unsettles defences, although his hamstring problems may limit the number of starts he gets. At the moment he can only play one game in three.

However, any attempts to provoke, bully or push him around, he vows, will prove futile. “I’m used to provocation,” he said. “It happens here and it happened in Spain. In fact wherever I’ve played it’s been like that. It’s a perception people have of my character and people will look for any way to try to take advantage of it.

“If Manchester City look to do the same you have to know how to handle these situations. The truth is I’m fairly relaxed but if City provoke me I’ll score against them.

“Demichelis is tough and uncompromising. I have played against him and then he was my team-mate at Atletico Madrid. I think people can see what a great player he is, so it’ll be an interesting battle.”

Winning means everything to Costa, it’s what drives and motivates him. “I think anyone in life, no matter what work they do, should think of wanting to get on, to win, to improve,” he adds.

“I’m not the type of person who lets things get on top of me. It’s not that I think I’m any different to most people. I always try my best and make a big effort, fight with all my strength to make the best of a situation and always want to win.”

Brazilian left-back Filipe Luis, who also joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in the summer and is a close friend of Costa, offers an interesting insight into the striker’s mindset: “I’m not surprised by the impact he has made,” he said. “I always said how good he was before I came to Chelsea. Every year he gets better. He is more confident. He is one of the top five strikers in the world.

“He has never needed time to adapt in any place, he always goes to a club and scores. Nothing really fazes him.He just wants to play the best he can and score goals, so that mentality makes it really easy for him and the clubs that sign him.

open image in gallery

“Not all players are like that. Some players take time to settle but for Diego it’s never been a problem. Everything just comes easy for him.”

Luis sees similarities between his team-mate and their Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, revealing that both men share an obsessive need to be victorious. “Diego always wants to win and if he doesn’t he gets crazy,” says Luis. “He gets mad. He’s that sort of person. Jose Mourinho is like that. People with ambition always want to win and if they don’t they get mad. These type of people really have to succeed in life.”

Yet in contrast, off the pitch, Luis claims Costa could not be more different: “He is a very simple person with a big heart,” he said. “He tries to help everybody, his friends and family and his team-mates. Sometimes on the field he looks like he is crazy and he fights but off the field he has one of the purest hearts I have ever known in my life, so I am proud to be his friend.”

Costa accepts the match against City will be far from easy as the leaders look to extend their 100 per cent unbeaten start to the campaign. “It’s a very difficult match, they’re one of the real rivals for us, they’re the champions and title favourites,” he said. “We know the potential they have so it’s going to be a difficult game. ”

Costa will also come up against another former team-mate Sergio Aguero, who kept the Spaniard out of the Atletico side while he enjoyed a prolific partnership with Diego Forlan. That was a frustrating period for Costa, who was regularly farmed out on loan, and he admits: “It was a brutal competition and a complicated thing. But I learned a lot from them. They are both tremendous players.”

When Costa finally got his chance to shine last season, he responded with 36 goals and was the on-field inspiration behind Atletico’s greatest season as they won the La Liga title and reached the Champions League final.

Asked if he felt any resentment towards Aguero, Costa says: “Not at all. Sergio was a god. I loved watching him. He is, for me, the best I saw play. He was a great team-mate and I enjoyed playing with him.

“He’s one of the best forwards around but we’ll see who comes out on top on Sunday.”