Chelsea striker Diego Costa had an eventful evening last night during his club’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard was involved in three separate altercations over the course of the match, though managed to stay on the pitch despite grappling Steven Gerrard to the ground and stamping on the legs of both Emre Can and Martin Skrtel.
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Referee Michael Oliver only showed Costa one yellow card for his continued pulling of Gerrard after the whistle was blown for a free kick, but did not dish out any punishment earlier in the match when Costa stomped on the legs of Can and Skrtel. The FA is now set to launch an investigation into the incidents, as Michael Oliver will be shown video footage of Costa’s behaviour before deciding whether or not the 26-year-old should receive a football ban for his actions.
If Oliver decides that he should have given Costa a straight red card for either of his apparent offences, then the striker will be given a three-match ban that will cover Chelsea’s crucial next match against Manchester City, along with the clubs fixtures against Aston Villa and Everton. The Spanish forward can appeal the decision, though the case will be settled before Chelsea’s match against City. Given the footage it seems likely that Costa will be charged with violent conduct.
Watch a video clip of the incidents below:
Chelsea bested Liverpool in the second leg, moving on to the Capital One Cup final. However, many Liverpool fans protested at Costa still being on the pitch, leading to much controversy surrounding the London outfit’s victory.
When asked about Costa’s actions in a post-game interview with Sky Sports, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said: “These things happen in the game but I think anyone watching it would not like to see what we’ve seen Diego Costa do.
“Not just on Martin Skrtel but on Emre Can, a young player who was clearly stamped on. You don’t want to see that. There’s no need for it. You can easily land somewhere else without having to directly land on an opponent’s ankle.
“It’s disappointing to see that on the replay and he was probably very fortunate the referee and the linesman didn’t see it.”
Chelsea, who remain unbeaten in six games against Liverpool, bested their opponents 1-0 following an extra-time winning goal from Branislav Ivanovic.
Photo: Getty Images
