Mourinho praises 'complete' costa

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hailed Diego Costa as the complete striker after his side's 6-3 Premier League win over Everton but is concerned opponents will try to get the Spain international sent off.

Brazil-born Costa scored twice in a thrilling match at Goodison Park to take his tally to four goals in three games and maintain Chelsea's winning start to the season.

Mourinho bought Costa for $53.1 million from Atletico Madrid during the close season to add more firepower to a Chelsea side that managed 71 goals last season.

Diego Costa celebrates scoring his team's sixth goal during the English Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park in Liverpool on Saturday. Chelsea won 6-3. Lindsey Parnaby / Agence France-Presse

That figure was way behind champion Manchester City (102) and runner-up Liverpool (101) but Mourinho expects more with a lethal finisher in his side.

"It was the complete performance of a striker," Mourinho said. "The perfect performance in every aspect.

"In the first half he was tackling, he recovers balls, he holds the ball and his movement was quality. Everything was really good.

"Diego had three chances and he scored two goals. He is a good finisher and he gives us a lot. In the end we are killers in attack."

Mourinho was, however, disappointed with the manner in which Everton's players attempted to provoke Costa during the game which earned him a booking.

"I was not happy with the way some Everton players tried to create problems with Diego," said Mourinho.

"I don't think it is in keeping with the Everton team, because they are positive in every aspect, to be chasing cards for a player who was here to play football.

"At the end of the story, Diego is maybe the best player in the opening Premier League matches. But he has two yellow cards. That is disappointing."

Everton manager Roberto Martinez responded to Mourinho's criticism, adamant Costa must learn to adjust to the different sporting ethos of the Premier League.

"I am disappointed if a manager is complaining about the attitude of the players," Martinez said.

"I think certain foreign players when they come to the Premier League need to understand the ethics and the culture.

"That's something he (Costa) will learn about. There is a professionalism in this league which he needs to understand."

Chelsea took the lead with two goals in the first three minutes from Costa and Branislav Ivanovic before Kevin Mirallas pulled one back for the Toffees on the stroke of halftime.

Six second-half goals saw the contest really come alive as a Seamus Coleman (own goal), Steven Naismith, Nemanja Matic, Samuel Eto'o and Ramires all found the net before Costa added his second in the final minute of normal time.

Mourinho criticized his side's defensive frailties after it allowed Everton to reduce the deficit on three occasions before it found the extra bit of quality required.

He said: "In training during the week we worked on defensive corners and free kicks, so imagine how happy I am with the result of our work.

"I may as well have stayed at home with my wife and kids. It's possible to have lots of goals but we make defensive mistakes."

Martinez was unhappy with Everton's defensive display, although he felt it was a mind-set issue rather than the players themselves that were to blame.

"It's not the technicality, it's the feeling," said Martinez. "I wouldn't be too worried about it because of the opposition. But it highlights the goals we conceded in the previous two games.

"The balance is right, I thought our attacking play was phenomenal. If you look at the chances we had I think you would be surprised.

"But we need to be a bit more positive at what we are good at defensively. We have over 1,000 appearances in that back four and the goalkeeper.

"It's not the personnel, we need to focus and get back to basics and start building games with a solid outlook which hasn't been there."

(China Daily 09/01/2014 page23)