Why Diego Costa Asked To Be Taken Off After 70minutes During Chelsea Vs Leicester

Antonio Conte won a battle of wills

with Diego Costa after Chelsea's leading scorer demanded to be taken off during the 3-0 Premier League victory over Leicester at Stamford Bridge.


The Spain international started the game on four yellow cards for the season, meaning another booking would see him miss the highly anticipated clash with Manchester United on October 23.

Costa Signaled to be substituted after 70 minutes. Photo Credit: Google 

With Chelsea leading 3-0 - courtesy of goals from Costa, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses - the Blues striker gestured angrily towards his manager that he wanted to be substituted 20 minutes before time to avoid a potential suspension, but Conte was having none of it - despite Costa holding his leg late on

Costa scored and paid tribute to team mate, Williams who lost his mother to cancer

Explaining after the game, the Chelsea manager said: 'I kept Costa on until the end of the game because he is an important player for us. 

'He has a good personality and he transfers that passion. We need that passion every moment of the game though I knew it was a risk because he if he took another yellow card, he misses the next match.'

'I decide every substitution, me. Always I take the responsibility in a positive or negative situation.'