Old and busted: Manchester United tries to hack Eden Hazard out of the game. New hotness: Stoke tries to hack Diego Costa into a red card. Same old, same old: Chelsea win.
This season was supposed to be the year of intricate battles between the world’s greatest football managers. Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino were going to bring a new level of tactical sophistication to the direct, physical and Neanderthal-ish Premier League.
Those managers are now battling for the consolation places behind Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. While Conte aims to see out the title run, his counterparts across the league have surrendered any hope of defeating him on tactics or quality. Instead, the order of the day is to hack Chelsea’s star player in the hopes that they, in turn, will surrender to their worst tendencies.
With Eden Hazard out of the lineup, Stoke fixed their cross-hairs on Diego Costa. Whereas Manchester United aimed to hack Hazard into retreating within his little shell, the Potters set out to provoke Costa into a red card.
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Referee Anthony Taylor was a willing accomplice in Stoke’s efforts. Taylor did not intervene forcefully enough – if at all – to let Stoke know that he was on to their plan and would not tolerate it. He kept his whistle quiet during many clear fouls. He awarded fouls where a yellow card was justified. And, unlike Michael Oliver on Monday, he did not call the captains to issue verbal, team-wide warnings.
Both teams returned from half-time with cooler tempers. This helped Taylor regain control of the game in the second half. The game was noticeably less violent and contentious in the second half, yet Taylor called Stoke for only one fewer foul than the first half. Diego Costa suffered six fouls in the game, the most of any other player. Four of those came in the second half, which says more about Taylor’s officiating than Stoke’s actual conduct.
Diego Costa did himself few favours in front of Anthony Taylor. Costa conspicuously sought a whistle upon nearly every contact. Once on the ground he would either roll around or sit up and stare pleadingly at Taylor for a call.
Costa received a yellow for dissent in the 17′. That particular incident was weak, but Costa had a booking coming throughout the first half. Costa came dangerously close to a second yellow for various, minor acts of retaliation.
Stoke’s game plan nearly succeeded better than Manchester United’s did. That had more to do with Chelsea than the opponent. Eden Hazard refused to give Manchester United what they wanted. He continued to run at the defence, seek shots and create chances. Hazard knew what Mourinho was counting on, and denied his former boss.
Costa, on the other hand, took the bait. He aimed his aggression and anger towards Stoke’s players, rather than Stoke’s net. He tried to help his team by being on the ground, rather than staying on his feet. And he nearly left his team with ten men on the pitch.
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Eden Hazard passed the first test of the rest of the season. Diego Costa did not. The teams that have given up hope of catching Chelsea are united with those who gave up hope of beating Chelsea. Costa showed them a way that they can possibly steal a few points from Chelsea’s march on the title. Antonio Conte must prepare his men – one in particular – for more of the same.