#43 Diego Costa
If it were not for his reputation as one of the most hated footballers in the match, Costa might well be higher up on this list, but his treacherous temperament lets him down. Nonetheless, with this comes a born desire to win and an inherent hatred of defeat, meaning Costa’s performances are often mirrored by the success of his team. In Chelsea’s title-winning campaign two seasons ago, Costa scored a remarkable 27 goals and, with Conte’s boys driving successfully forwards this term, Costa already has ten goals to his name, two shy of his total number scored in a desolate 2015/16 season.
The Brazilian-turned-Spaniard is in the top five players to have scored 35 Premier League goals the quickest, achieving the feat in just 58 matches. Blues team-mate Cesar Azpillicueta stated earlier this year, ‘he [Costa] is scoring a lot of goals for us and works very hard for the team’ and his work ethic can alter the complexion of a game. Not only does Costa provide in terms of goals, but he is also in his element when holding up the ball and feeding the ball to wide-men like Eden Hazard.
Love him or hate him, it would’ve been ludicrous not to have Costa on this list, a player who has always come through times of uncertainty and hostility to punish the meanest of defences on the biggest of stages.