Pat Nevin believes that Diego Costa’s form for Chelsea can decide whether Chelsea win the title or not.
Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has said that the Blues will be relying on Diego Costa to hit form this season if they are to win the Premier League title.
Nevin believes the squad Jose Mourinho has at his disposal is as strong as it has been in many years, but he has highlighted Costa’s form as the pivotal factor in deciding whether they will be celebrating come May or not.
The striker, signed from Atletico Madrid over the summer for £32 million, has shown some excellent displays during pre-season and Nevin says that he will need to carry this form into the competitive campaign if Chelsea are to meet their high expectations this year.
He wrote on the club’s official site: “What is abundantly clear however is that over the summer Jose has put together a very well-balanced-looking squad. In fact I would argue it is the most balanced squad we have had for many years. Will it be good enough to win the league? Well that remains to be seen, but certainly we should be in there with a chance right to the death.
“It will need a good season from our other new centre-forward Diego Costa and boy has he looked the business in pre-season.”
The Brazilian born, Spain international attacker scored 27 times last season for Atletico Madrid, as the Spanish side upset the odds and broke the Barcelona and Real Madrid duopoly at the top of La Liga.
He will now be looking to do the same for his new club, as he looks to live up to the expensive price-tag that is hanging over his head.
The signs that he will be able to do this have been encouraging, with his form in non-competitive games for Chelsea blistering.
However, there is a danger of reading too much into these clashes and only time will tell if he will be able to adapt to top level football in England.
He should be helped by Chelsea’s other big-name summer arrivals, as he knows both Filipe Luis, after playing with him for Atleti, and Cesc Fabregas, after their time together in the national team.
If they can get him to perform to his optimum then Costa may be the missing piece in the Chelsea jigsaw as they look to end their wait for a Premier League title, which has lasted since 2010.
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