Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Eden Hazard delivers warning to Chelsea star Diego Costa ahead of Arsenal clash
CHELSEA winger Eden Hazard has warned team-mate Diego Costa to keep his cool and ignore provocative defenders trying to get him booked.
Costa has received three yellows in just six Premier League games, two of which were due to attractions with opposition players.
Managers are fast learning Costa can be wound-up fairly easily, and will make efforts rile the Spaniard into lashing out.
We all know how he will react, he needs to be careful that he doesn’t get too many yellow cards
Hazard knows the importance of the 25-year-old's goals, and understands if Chelsea are to continue their march to the title - Costa must resists the urge to react.
He said: "We all know how he will react, he needs to be careful that he doesn’t get too many yellow cards. This is part of the game [opponents targeting him], everyone knows that. He needs to focus.
"He is a very good striker, one of the top three in the world right now. When he is confident, he scores and right now he is confident and in form."
Costa is almost a certainty to face Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but is unlikely to be risked against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.