Diego Costa

[The only place to be 11,313]

Based on what?

One guy has scored 100 goals in 3 seasons as the main man...then he moves to France, becomes second fiddle to Ibra and loses momentum, confidence in his game

The other guy has done nothing in his career up until this great season

I think you're overstating the difference between the level of the two players. Cavani is a very good player and has scored a lot of goals in Serie A - so does that mean Antonio Di Natale is now a world-class striker?

Diego Costa scored 20 goals last season, but is in the midst of a fantastic goalscoring season. I think you're being unfairly harsh on him for whatever reason.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

I think you're overstating the difference between the level of the two players. Cavani is a very good player and has scored a lot of goals in Serie A - so does that mean Antonio Di Natale is now a world-class striker?

Diego Costa scored 20 goals last season, but is in the midst of a fantastic goalscoring season. I think you're being unfairly harsh on him for whatever reason.

It's Cavani's 4th 20+ goal season (33, 38, 38, currently 22) and had two 15 goals in 37-38 games seasons in Palermo. Costa is having his first real great season having scored over 30 goals already so it comes down to him being a late bloomer or just a great season (similar to Michu's 2012/2013) - something we will see in the future. As of now Cavani is more proven in my eyes and would trump Costa in his effort, stats and mentality.. more of a Mourinho's player.

Regarding Di Natale, he is Udinese's Totti or Del Piero with even better stats. So he is a world class striker and can be compared to Totti and Del Piero. Serie A is a strong league that is known for it's defensive play. Scoring goals in La Liga - a league with few strong teams - is easier, it's in the culture to play an attacking football and with pace and flair so when it comes to that Serie A goals count for more than La Liga's.

[Mr_President 404]

Whilst it is true this is Costa's first 'great' goal scoring season, he was actually very good last season but Falcao played as the '9' that season. This is his first season being the #1 centre forward, his record is not comparable to Cavani's.

[The only place to be 11,313]

You can't compare Costa to Drogba. Drogba was an elite striker....Costa is good but nowhere near great.

Top-class strikers: Cavani, Ibra, Lewa, Suarez

Solid strikers: Costa, Martinez, Benzema, Dzeko..

Good second options: BONY

You absolutely can compare Drogba to Costa. Saint Didier's legacy isn't beyond scrutiny, and at the same age Costa has simply been more impressive than Drogba was. That doesn't mean he'll be as good as him over the span of a decade, and there is actually a chance Costa will be better (wouldn't take much to have a better goalscoring record in the first few seasons if we're being honest).

But all this categorisation of players as 'top-class' and 'solid' is pointless, masterbatory list-making for the sake of it. It is fundamentally meaningless.

[dee25 1,044]

It's Cavani's 4th 20+ goal season (33, 38, 38, currently 22) and had two 15 goals in 37-38 games seasons in Palermo. Costa is having his first real great season having scored over 30 goals already so it comes down to him being a late bloomer or just a great season (similar to Michu's 2012/2013) - something we will see in the future. As of now Cavani is more proven in my eyes and would trump Costa in his effort, stats and mentality.. more of a Mourinho's player.

Regarding Di Natale, he is Udinese's Totti or Del Piero with even better stats. So he is a world class striker and can be compared to Totti and Del Piero. Serie A is a strong league that is known for it's defensive play. Scoring goals in La Liga - a league with few strong teams - is easier, it's in the culture to play an attacking football and with pace and flair so when it comes to that Serie A goals count for more than La Liga's.

Exactly this.

Look at Soldado. He scored 81 goals in 3 seasons at Valencia including 30 goals last season - we all know how he has struggled since his move to spurs.

Negredo also scored 30 goals last season and although he was excellent at first when he signed for City, but his form has drastically dipped since then. He only has 9 goals in 28 games in the league. That's one goal less than Eto'o. Sure Costa had a good goal tally playing on the wings last season but that's not so unusual in La Liga. If I'm not mistaken Michu scored 17 goals from midfield at Rayo, Aspas had about 12 goals or so predominantly playing on the wings. If he had stayed at Celta who knows how many goals he would have gone on to score this season.

I think Costa has come leap and bounds from when he was on loan at Rayo Vallecano two seasons ago, but to say that there isn't much of a difference in level between Costa and Cavani is ridiculous. Of course there is. Costa is a late bloomer, and still has a lot to prove before one can put him in the same bracket as Cavani.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Yeah because Serie A is that more difficult to score than La liga...Last few years, Serie A is retirement home and their defenders are slow as fuck. No wonder the likes of Totti or Di Natale still score for fun there.

La liga on other way, its easy to score because the defenses play high line.

I think the real test comes in Premier league, where every team's emphasis is on defending,

[haranr 485]

Have you seen him play? Costa creates chances himself, he is almost unstoppable in some games. This guy will create havoc in Chelsea´s defense, you can bet your ass on it.

You will see how wrong you are once he vanishes.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Lukaku is nowhere near Costa's level

Lukaku doesn't have much tactical sense as a striker to fit Jose's style. He's pretty average right now, he won't offer us much apart from a few scrappy goals once in a while. His first touch is worse than Costa's

If Everton signed Lukaku instead of us would most of you be looking at him saying " We should sign him " ? He hasn't done anything out of the ordinary for Everton, he is a good player but, nothing special right now.

He went on a good goal scoring run at the start of the season then went through a bit of a drought.

I'm sure Lukaku will be a good player in the future, I don't think he will be a Chelsea player for long.

I would personally rather have Bony or Benteke for 2nd/3rd choice striker

[kellzfresh 7,229]

02

Exactly this.02

02

Look at Soldado. He scored 81 goals in 3 seasons at Valencia including 30 goals last season - we all know how he has struggled since his move to spurs.02

02

Negredo also scored 30 goals last season and although he was excellent at first when he signed for City, but his form has drastically dipped since then.02 He only has 9 goals in 28 games in the league. That's one goal less than Eto'o. Sure Costa had a good goal tally playing on the wings last season but that's not so unusual in La Liga. If I'm not mistaken Michu scored 17 goals from midfield at Rayo, Aspas had about 12 goals or so predominantly playing on the wings. If he had stayed at Celta who knows how many goals he would have gone on to score this season.02

02

I think Costa has come leap and bounds from when he was on loan at Rayo Vallecano two seasons ago, but to say that there isn't much of a difference in level between Costa and Cavani is ridiculous. Of course there is. Costa is a late bloomer, and still has a lot to prove before one can put him in the same bracket as Cavani.02

I understand your point in comparing costa to those playing on the wing like he did last season.

But the difference between costa and all those other spain players is their gameplay.

Costa is a willing runner, almost cavani level energy, he doesn't make dissapearing acts like soldado/torres, he is always in the thick of the action. He's also south american and I consider south americans to have the best group of strikers because of the energy they play with(aguero, tevez, suarez, cavani, falcao, messi and so on). He is never static like torres. He will run into channels and his physicality makes it easy to find him high balls, through balls or crosses.

Athletico then play the same defensive, high pressing, physical, counter attacking, football we play and in this system he has scored the same amount of goals in laliga as c.ronaldo (if you remove penalties) Surely he's not an average player as iago aspas and those others you compared him with surely.

[The only place to be 11,313]

I think Costa has come leap and bounds from when he was on loan at Rayo Vallecano two seasons ago, but to say that there isn't much of a difference in level between Costa and Cavani is ridiculous. Of course there is. Costa is a late bloomer, and still has a lot to prove before one can put him in the same bracket as Cavani.

You may think it's ridiculous but going by current form, the gap has narrowed between the two of them. Drogba was a late bloomer as well yet they're treading a similar path on their way to joining this club - except Costa is probably further along than Didier was.

[bushman 2,043]

You will see how wrong you are once he vanishes.

[Rmpr 8,977]

I find it amusing that La Liga is only considered a poor league when it's convinient to someone's argument...

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Poor league? It has some of the greatest players in the world

[dee25 1,044]

I understand your point in comparing costa to those playing on the wing like he did last season.

But the difference between costa and all those other spain players is their gameplay.

Costa is a willing runner, almost cavani level energy, he doesn't make dissapearing acts like soldado/torres, he is always in the thick of the action. He's also south american and I consider south americans to have the best group of strikers because of the energy they play with(aguero, tevez, suarez, cavani, falcao, messi and so on). He is never static like torres. He will run into channels and his physicality makes it easy to find him high balls, through balls or crosses.

Athletico then play the same defensive, high pressing, physical, counter attacking, football we play and in this system he has scored the same amount of goals in laliga as c.ronaldo (if you remove penalties) Surely he's not an average player as iago aspas and those others you compared him with surely.

I think Costa is probably the ideal striker for Mourinho's system. He'd perfect for the style of play Mourinho wants and like you say, his movement is excellent. He makes A LOT of unselfish runs - runs that half of the time are no use to him but helps create space for the likes of Koke, Turan, Villa. So I agree with you on that.

My point is that for Costa to be put in the same bracket as Cavani, he has to do what he's doing this season a few times more. Two seasons ago Costa couldn't get into the Atleti team and had to be sent on loan to Rayo. Two seasons ago Cavani had netted 33 goals for Napoli and since then has gone on to replicate that tally twice.

@The only place to be I've already said that Costa's career has followed a similar trajectory as Drogba's (in that both are late bloomers) and although some might not want to compare them, I see a lot of similarities between the two. So you're preaching to the choir. And sure the gap might have narrowed between Costa and Cavani but there's still a considerable gap between Costa as his best and Cavani at his best.

[haranr 485]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I LOVE IT!

[duo11bluecl 207]

We need him more than ever now. Atletico had countless situations like us today and he is often the difference in the end eventually

[Sidzeret 2,257]

I seriously doubt Costa alone can solve our problems against sides like Sunderland that park the fucking bus. Definitely need some reinforcements in the centre- midfield.

[duo11bluecl 207]

I seriously doubt Costa alone can solve our problems against sides like Sunderland that park the fucking bus. Definitely need some reinforcements in the centre- midfield.

It happens a lot of time with Atletico this season too like for example yesterday. Eventually they won and he usually the one who scored.