The picture that apparently proves the kick made zero contact with Costa

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/19/13/2C80F30F00000578-3241084-image-a-40_1442666139687.jpg

The picture that apparently proves the kick made zero contact with Costa

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/19/13/2C80F30F00000578-3241084-image-a-40_1442666139687.jpg

Journos really do think we are all mindless.

The picture that apparently proves the kick made zero contact with Costa

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/19/13/2C80F30F00000578-3241084-image-a-40_1442666139687.jpg

Then judging by that picture he intended harm with how far his foot is past Costa's leg. They don't bend that way.

Nice to see Gary Neville sticking up for Costa on Twitter. He said that Diego's actions against Arsenal were not violent and that the ban was excessive. He also reminded the United supporters that they've had many players who've done the exact same as Costa... I never used to like Gary when he was player, but since he's become a pundit he's been good to us. 

ARSENAL SPECIALIST IN FAILURE HERE. 

 

Fixed it for you. 

Jason Burt, just one more media hack, anything but a "top journalist". I'd be far more inclined to take note of what Alan Shearer has to say about Costa, Shearer being someone who has actually played the game at a high level:

 

Alan Shearer: Chelsea ace Diego Costa is not a dirty player

 

NEWCASTLE legend Alan Shearer has labelled Chelsea striker Diego Costa as merely a "wind-up merchant" rather than a dirty player.

Costa is facing a three-match ban after being charged by the FA for violent conduct during Chelsea's London derby against Arsenal.

TV replays showed the 26-year-old swinging an arm and putting his hands in Laurent Koscielny’s face before Gabriel Paulista stepped in.

And as the scuffle continued at the halfway line, Paulista was then given a straight red after flicking a foot at Costa.

However, an FA panel has met to discuss the incident retrospectively, where Costa has been charged for the incident involving Koscielny.

But Shearer believes that while Costa is treading a fine line, he is just winding up defenders.

"I would describe him as an aggressive wind-up merchant," said Shearer..

"Winding up defenders is fair game — it happens, whether you like it or not.

"Central defenders try to kick you and Costa is turning it around and doing the same.

"You try to get one step ahead of the game and stand up for yourself.

"You let the defenders know that you won’t be intimidated and they can’t kick you. But he is treading a fine line."

 

 

Got that? Costa is turning it around and doing the same. Winding up the wind-up merchants, kicking back at central defenders, the ankle tappers and outright dirty bar stewards who habitually go in hard to let the attacker know they're there.

 

For the FA to rescinding Gabriel's red card is hypocrisy of the worst kind. Gabriel steamed over for all intents and purposes exacerbating a situation that had f**k all to do with him in the first place. The clip of Gabriel clutching his face and flingng himsel to the floor shows that Gabriel fits in perfectly with The Arsenal Way.

 

Fact is that Wenger has got away with one, using the sendngs off and Costa's antics as a diversionary tactic to take the attention away from just how poor Arsenal actually were. Other than the first few minutes, Arsenal were well outplayed even when they still had eleven men on the field. We were again denied a stone-wall penalty and were well in the ascendancy. What annoys me is that Wenger's comments on Costa have been swallowed wholesale by the media, regurgitated as fact, and wilfully misused by the FA in order to exonerate Gabriel and Arsenal in general and cast Costa in his accustomed role of pantomime villain.

 

Meanwhile, in Arsene Wenger, Arsenal have their very own pantomime villain. Except that the majority of Arsenal fans are apparently too dense, too blinded by years of bullsh*t to see through the smarmy, whinging bloody clown who was once a upon a time not a bad manager but is now little more than a standing joke.

 

 

 

I'm not really fussed about what you have to say about Costa as you don't watch him week in week out and don't see all the abuse he receives by the opposition defenders every game, and attacking fans for supporting one of their players is laughable.

But I will ask do you think Gabriel should have been red carded? and do you think his ban should have been rescinded?

and whether Costa should have seen red is irrelevant to this question and I don't think you will see many fans complain too much that he got a 3 match ban, as it isn't an unfair judgement, his antics were worth a few yellow cards at the least, having said that if you filmed most players for the 90 minutes to see all the niggles they make on opposition players most players would rack up a few incidences but I suppose as an arsenal fan you are more than knowledgeable on this side of the game as you are one of the dirtiest sides in BPL history.

 

I'll reply to this since from what I skimmed, all the other replies weren't worth much. 

 

You talk about "the abuse Costa recieves from defenders"? Lol. What do you honestly expect when the player literally goes out week after week with the intention of abusing opposition players. This is a fact, can't dispute it no matter how biased you may or may not be. Just ask your own Kurt Zouma. So you basically expect Costa to be able to abuse everyone else without consequence? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

You described attacking fans for supporting their players as "laughable". So you're basically, no, literally, saying no matter what a players antics are like on the field, you as a fan must support him at all times. Look, if an Arsenal player goes and obviously intentionally breaks opposition's legs, I'm not going to support him, Arsenal player or not. Being a football fan doesn't mean you have to completely abandon your morals. Please correct me if I'm wrong.  

 

According to the rules of the game, Gabriel deserved his red, no question about it. His ban should have stood. 

 

The "niggles" you talk about will always be a part of the game; with what's at stake it's almost human nature to look for any advantage you can possibly get, even unfair ones at times. However, Costa takes to a whole different level. Abusing other players is a huge part of his game. Stomping on Skrytel while he was lying on the ground. Spitting in his hand then throwing it in Sergio Ramos' face, multiple times in one game. Sneakily headbutting players as he walks past them. Clawing Gabriel's neck to the point of leaving very visible marks. Shocking behavior, and it's consistent. You have to draw a line and some point, otherwise the game falls into chaos.

 

He's basically a bully/b**ch on the field. He bullies other players and then b**ches to the ref when they react. No one wants to see that, in real life, or on the pitch. 

 

Arsenal have a poor disciplinary record, can't argue with facts. Many Arsenal fans, myself included would make the point that we get more than our fair share of unfair decisions/ sending off's (like this weekend) but I'm not going to bother with that argument because I know no matter how convincingly presented, a Chelsea forum is just not the place for it. 

Edited September 22, 201510 yr by ArsenalFan88

Bully, Wenger shove? Bitch, synonymous with Wenger.

"Winding up defenders is fair game — it happens, whether you like it or not.

 

 

Exactly.

I'll reply to this since from what I skimmed, all the other replies weren't worth much. 

 

You talk about "the abuse Costa recieves from defenders"? Lol. What do you honestly expect when the player literally goes out week after week with the intention of abusing opposition players. This is a fact, can't dispute it no matter how biased you may or may not be. Just ask your own Kurt Zouma. So you basically expect Costa to be able to abuse everyone else without consequence? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

You described attacking fans for supporting their players as "laughable". So you're basically, no, literally, saying no matter what a players antics are like on the field, you as a fan must support him at all times. Look, if an Arsenal player goes and obviously intentionally breaks opposition's legs, I'm not going to support him, Arsenal player or not. Being a football fan doesn't mean you have to completely abandon your morals. Please correct me if I'm wrong.  

 

According to the rules of the game, Gabriel deserved his red, no question about it. His ban should have stood. 

 

The "niggles" you talk about will always be a part of the game; with what's at stake it's almost human nature to look for any advantage you can possibly get, even unfair ones at times. However, Costa takes to a whole different level. Abusing other players is a huge part of his game. Stomping on Skrytel while he was lying on the ground. Spitting in his hand then throwing it in Sergio Ramos' face, multiple times in one game. Sneakily headbutting players as he walks past them. Shocking behavior, and it's consistent. You have to draw a line and some point, otherwise the game falls into chaos.

 

He's basically a bully/b**ch on the field. He bullies other players and then b**ches to the ref when they react. No one wants to see that, in real life, or on the pitch. 

 

Arsenal have a poor disciplinary record, can't argue with facts. Many Arsenal fans, myself included would make the point that we get more than our fair share of unfair decisions/ sending off's (like this weekend) but I'm not going to bother with that argument because I know no matter how convincingly presented, a Chelsea forum is just not the place for it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2-0

The only chance Wenger could beat Jose is to win an appeal in front of a sympathetic panel, and he did. We all conceded Costa is going to cop a ban, but to let Gabriel off is just day light robbery. I mean what kind of precedence is this, you could get away with anything as long as you are retaliating, or just anything is far game against Costa? I think it will do Costa some good to sit out for a few games, there's no doubt the bar code will kick the crap out of him this weekend if he played. Not if he can't cop with it, but any reaction would result in a red. I hope he doesn't change his style, but what I would recommend is sort out his priorities. I always felt he's too easily dragged into the physical battle, and forgot his main job - score goals.

The Premier League need to set up their own independent disciplinary commission and completely breakaway from the FA. They have shown themselves time and time again to be of almost an impressive level of incompetent.

I haven't read the whole thread so my apologies if this had already been mentioned but I was impressed with Gary Neville again....

Gary Neville

Gary Neville – Verified account ‏@GNev2

3 games for that. At worse it was two yellows = 1 game. Violent? No way..

https://mobile.twitter.com/GNev2/status/646392521753538560

I'll reply to this since from what I skimmed, all the other replies weren't worth much.

You talk about "the abuse Costa recieves from defenders"? Lol. What do you honestly expect when the player literally goes out week after week with the intention of abusing opposition players. This is a fact, can't dispute it no matter how biased you may or may not be. Just ask your own Kurt Zouma. So you basically expect Costa to be able to abuse everyone else without consequence? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

You described attacking fans for supporting their players as "laughable". So you're basically, no, literally, saying no matter what a players antics are like on the field, you as a fan must support him at all times. Look, if an Arsenal player goes and obviously intentionally breaks opposition's legs, I'm not going to support him, Arsenal player or not. Being a football fan doesn't mean you have to completely abandon your morals. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

According to the rules of the game, Gabriel deserved his red, no question about it. His ban should have stood.

The "niggles" you talk about will always be a part of the game; with what's at stake it's almost human nature to look for any advantage you can possibly get, even unfair ones at times. However, Costa takes to a whole different level. Abusing other players is a huge part of his game. Stomping on Skrytel while he was lying on the ground. Spitting in his hand then throwing it in Sergio Ramos' face, multiple times in one game. Sneakily headbutting players as he walks past them. Clawing Gabriel's neck to the point of leaving very visible marks. Shocking behavior, and it's consistent. You have to draw a line and some point, otherwise the game falls into chaos.

He's basically a bully/b**ch on the field. He bullies other players and then b**ches to the ref when they react. No one wants to see that, in real life, or on the pitch.

Arsenal have a poor disciplinary record, can't argue with facts. Many Arsenal fans, myself included would make the point that we get more than our fair share of unfair decisions/ sending off's (like this weekend) but I'm not going to bother with that argument because I know no matter how convincingly presented, a Chelsea forum is just not the place for it.

With your long winded essays, you're basically just stating what we already know, that Costa can take things too far at times, why come on to a rival teams forum just to state the obvious? We all know he can go too far, but I'm sorry we wouldn't want him to have a personality change, because as long as he's not taking things over the line, then there's no issue. As for your issue with Chelsea fans chanting Diego, after he's got himself in to trouble, what has he done whilst playing for us, that's really been that bad? The stamp, I would say yes, apart from that it's mostly been handbags mate, silly things now and again, his behaviour was worse at Atletico, anyway I know for a fact that Arsenal fans would be chanting for Diego, just like we do, to be honest if he's not taking things too far, then he's exactly what you need, like it or not you're team is too soft, far too soft.

Edited September 22, 201510 yr by Floyd25

A considered piece from one of our top journalists.

The final word on the matter for me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/11879887/Diego-Costa-betrayed-football-for-Chelsea-against-Arsenal-and-provoked-FA-into-action.html

Thank goodness. I'm sure Charlton would appreciate it if you spent as much time and energy supporting them as you do on the forums of other teams. 

I'm not really surprised that Costa got the retrospective ban. On another day the ref could easily have given him 2 yellows (one for his spat with Koscielny and then a second following the handbags with Gabriel. However I agree with Danny Murphy's take on the situation. I would have preferred it if the ref just booked all 3 players for what was ultimately kid's stuff. Chances are 1 or both of Costa and Gabriel would have carried on sniping each other after that and eventually got a second yellow anyway.

What doesn't really make sense to me though is how the FA can rescind Gabriel's ban and then hand one to Diego. Either both players get a ban or neither should in my opinion. My only theory here is that the FA realised that they are going to have to hand Gabriel a 2-3 game ban for his actions after the red card, and felt that a total of 5-6 games would be excessive. I fully expect them to hand him with 2-3 game ban on Thursday to even things up somewhat. If they don't the punishment will certainly seem a little one sided.

Going back to Costa he is undoubtedly going to come under more scrutiny from both refs and media now. He was already struggling with his form and this will just make things harder. I won't be surprised if he ends up moving back to Spain in the next year or 2. I'm sure he will look at the success Suarez has had since moving to Barca and wonder if he really needs all the rubbish he gets from the press over here.

In my opinion he is not a particularly violent/nasty player, but he is definitely a wind up merchant and part of his game is to try and get into the heads of the opposition defenders. Suarez had that too and it got him in similar trouble. I can't see us coaching that out of him as it part of his game. I just wonder if he would get the same criticism from the British press if he was English and played for a club like United?

I thought Costa was a bit mad against Arsenal, but i personally don't think he deserves a 3 game ban, maybe a 1 game ban but that's about it. All he really did wrong was put his hands into the face of Kosielny......it was nothing, handbags stuff. I actually think the same goes for Gabrielle, 1 game ban, done. But it's never as easy as that is it ? the F.A have to overcomplicate things by turning over every decision one of their own refs made and make him and themselves look completely incompetent.

When Wenger said there would be no complaints if they loss I knew it would be too good to be true. This is the biggest bitch fit about a loss I've ever seen.

 

Arsenal fans are disgraceful. Grow up and accept your loss. You got outplayed and your players couldn't control themselves, you should spend less time bitching about Diego and wondering why one of your players did something stupid and got a second yellow and another got involved and sent off in an incident that had nothing to do with him.

Edited September 23, 201510 yr by Stim

 Literally everyone (including your own player Zouma, bless him) but Chelsea fans sees this clear as day. 

Re. Costa-

 

 

No, that's not true, it was painfully obvious after watching his interview that he doesn't feel that way and he said as much later on.

 

It's good to know you're buying into the media drivel hook, line and sinker and regurgitating it on an opposition forum...

Edited September 23, 201510 yr by Teritus

Pity the media didn't bother to mention Zouma's correction later on. 

 

Deluded Wenger and Arsenal fans 

Ok so i was a c**t yesterday, but I won't be today.

 

What I think now that the FA have had  their say.

Costa 3 game ban, don't know what you guys were waiting for. He hit Koscienly 2 times, and then pushed him on the ground. I'm all for bullying defenders and imposing yourself, winding them up and stuff, but that was nothing like that. That was Costa hitting a guy with no reason and it's a red card, if you don't see that you have a problem.

Gabriel red card over turned. That I don't get, the only logical explanation is that they said " the ref made a huge mistake, Costa should have been off...and we will go easy on him", but even then it's stupid. But it means nothing, and I don't know why you are angry. He is not Arsenal's first choice, he will be on the bench on the next game....I really think they don't even care.

 

Wenger moans WOW, shocker, all manager moans. All Mourinho has did this season is moan in every interview i saw. That's what you lot are doing now.  So get off your high horse. Mourinho said Costa was the Man of The Match on the weekend. He knew why he said that, and he knew he will get the ban. He will take that.

 

The only, and I mean only problem now is that Costa might be a marked man. We will see.

And so it begins...the controversy surrounding the club...the FA conspiracy against Chelsea...just another season in the life of a blues fan...bring it on...KTBFFH!!!

Stoke manager Mark Hughes, who saw winger Ibrahim Afellay's ban for slapping West Brom's Craig Gardner in August reduced from three games to two, said he is left "scratching his head" by the FA's decision to overturn Gabriel's ban.

 

"I'm not sure why Afellay had a two-game ban when I see news of other situations which seemed to be deemed violent conduct and they get wiped off," Hughes told BBC Radio 5 live.

 

"We keep asking for explanations from the FA about why they come to decisions against us - or we're getting different ones to other clubs. This is a prime example of that. We're bemused by it."

The FA are trying to keep you and the mighty Stoke down !!

Ok so i was a c**t yesterday, but I won't be today.

What I think now that the FA have had their say.

Costa 3 game ban, don't know what you guys were waiting for. He hit Koscienly 2 times, and then pushed him on the ground. I'm all for bullying defenders and imposing yourself, winding them up and stuff, but that was nothing like that. That was Costa hitting a guy with no reason and it's a red card, if you don't see that you have a problem.

Gabriel red card over turned. That I don't get, the only logical explanation is that they said " the ref made a huge mistake, Costa should have been off...and we will go easy on him", but even then it's stupid. But it means nothing, and I don't know why you are angry. He is not Arsenal's first choice, he will be on the bench on the next game....I really think they don't even care.

Wenger moans WOW, shocker, all manager moans. All Mourinho has did this season is moan in every interview i saw. That's what you lot are doing now. So get off your high horse. Mourinho said Costa was the Man of The Match on the weekend. He knew why he said that, and he knew he will get the ban. He will take that.

The only, and I mean only problem now is that Costa might be a marked man. We will see.

Nope your still a loser c**t on another teams board.