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A third of the way into the English Premier League season, and Europe's most compelling contest continues to be a gloriously entertaining muddle. The first three months have been chock-full of fascinating surprises like the unlikely rise of Leicester City and Jamie Vardy and the remarkable giant-slaying heroics of West Ham. But nothing has been bigger or more shocking than the spectacular fall from grace of reigning champions Chelsea, and their star man Diego Costa.
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Costa is a far cry from last season’s free-scoring battering ram
When Chelsea signed the Brazil-born Spanish striker, they knew exactly what kind of snafu they were getting themselves entangled in. His career had been deeply entrenched in controversies, and his well-documented volatility had put many a suitor off. He had always been the kind of player that every fan abhors, but given the chance, would gladly welcome into their team.
Their gamble ultimately proved successful, as he hit the ground running, making critics eat their words with a scintillating run of form that saw him grab 20 goals and finish second on the end-of-season goal-scoring charts. He developed a telepathic on-field relationship with compatriot Cesc Fabregas, an instinctive understanding that enabled the duo to unlock umpteen defences and annihilate entire teams, as the West London side cruised towards the title.
Fast forward to the current season, and the contrast couldn't be any sharper. Going into the international break, the reigning champions have been knocked comprehensively off their perch and are currently languishing in 16th place. Their shambolic title defence has been bad enough to make David Moyes’ effort at United look valiant, and Costa has been one of the varied reasons behind their travails.
The misfiring marksman has been a shadow of his previous self, a prosaic imitation of the player who had dazzled the league with his all-action style. His return of two goals in 12 games is pitifully sparse, especially when you consider the 11 goals that he had already notched up in the corresponding period last season.
His ravenous, swashbuckling exploits in front of goal have been replaced by a jaded, lethargic approach. Running at players and occupying entire defences was what made him such an effective battering-ram, and his comparative lack of movement this season has been bemoaned by many pundits.
His inactivity in front of goal and general lack of clinical finishing is another aspect of his game which has been inimical to the Blues’ cause. Last season, he averaged one shot on target every 56 minutes; this year, that figure has risen up to 102 minutes.
And then, of course, there is his much-maligned fondness for riling up opponents.
Costa is a sadistic genius who has mastered the art of provocation
A provocateur of the highest order, Costa's proficiency as a wind-up merchant and affinity for flouting rules is considered a footballing truism. For the 90 minutes that he is on the pitch, he steadily flits around like a gadfly. He is constantly jostling, niggling and chivvying opponents in a desperate attempt to elicit even the slightest of reactions that could function as a valid excuse for him to fall theatrically and writhe and moan in faux agony.
But despite his manipulative repertoire being inextricable from his style of play, his silky finishing and ability to conjure magic with the ball had always been his claim to redemption.
He had always been the kind of player who made you pound on walls with sheer bile-soaked rancour at his antics while simultaneously making you flush with the pure footballing joy that watching him inevitably brought.
Is Costa worth the hassle?
On his arrival, many had touted him to be the next big footballing maverick in the mould of Eric Cantona and Luis Suarez. But despite being a wonderfully watchable and fantastically potent player, the fact remains that he is nowhere near as brilliant or un-droppable as them.
As Jamie Carragher recently pointed out, the aforementioned players were never injured, and their mercurial genius which had the capability to single-handedly upend any opponent was precisely what made them indispensable to their respective teams. More importantly, their beastliness was always accompanied by brilliance, whereas in Costa's case, it seems to have become a substitute for it.
While his flagrant disregard for any kind of discipline had been evident from the off, it seems to have taken centre stage this season. This was epitomised in his subpar performance against Stoke City last week, where he looked far more preoccupied with winding up centre-halves than registering any goal-scoring impact.
He seems to have lost the only redeeming factor he possessed, and the Blues faithful will definitely be left asking themselves whether he is worth the aggravation and scrutiny that he brings the club.
Can Costa turn it around, or is his Chelsea career doomed?
Though Jose Mourinho has been vocal in his appreciation of the player, whom he views as his on-field incarnation, there is little to no doubt that the infuriating combination of Costa’s string of poor performances, incessant hamstring twangs and needless bans will have left him fuming. But Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy are the only deputies that the beleaguered Blues boss has at his disposal – one is a spent force and the other has played just 20 minutes in the entire campaign (13 of them coming in last weekend's match).
So despite his horrendous sophomore slump, Costa still remains central to any hopes that the club harbours about salvaging its wretched season. The astounding quality that he displayed during his time with Atletico Madrid and his initial months with the Blues cannot have disappeared overnight.
And with hushed whispers of a January bid for Gonzalo Higuain circulating around the rumour mill, the onus is on Costa to finally prove his worth as a goalscorer who deserves to be more than just the Premier League's favourite pantomime villain.
