Arsene Wenger called it “unacceptable behavior” — but Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho made a novel defense for his agent provocateur Diego Costa, likening the soccer star to a rugby player after yet another victory over Arsenal on Saturday.
Costa’s notoriously feisty antics led to Gabriel Paulista being sent off for retaliation just before halftime, and Kurt Zouma headed Chelsea into the lead after the break.
With tempers fraying in the London derby, Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla also departed for a second booking, and Eden Hazard sealed victory with a second goal at the end, netting with a deflected shot.
But it was the first-half altercation between Spain striker Costa and Laurent Koscielny that left Wenger fuming, while also having to acknowledge that Paulista should not have got involved.
“He can do what he wants, he stays on and everybody else who responds to him has to be sent off. I think it is unacceptable his behavior,” Wenger said of Costa, who was booked for his initial tussle with Paulista.
“If you look well at the pictures what he does to Koscielny before he pushes him down, he hits him in the face and the throat, he always gets away with it.
“It is surprising and I don’t understand (referee) Mike Dean’s decision at all, not on the sending-off — why does Diego Costa stay on the pitch and Gabriel sent off?
“Okay I accept he has not to react at all. Gabriel is guilty for getting involved, of course he should not have responded at all, but Koscielny had no choice.”
Wenger had been hoping for Arsenal’s first Premier League win against Chelsea since 2011, having triumphed in the preseason Community Shield clash in August.
But instead the spoils belonged to Mourinho, who forced a handshake with his bitter rival before the match kicked off.
And the Portuguese manager refused to criticize the behavior of Costa, his top scorer last season as Chelsea won the English title.
“He played like he has to play. And that’s why you have full stadiums, you sell to televisions around the world for millions and millions, because the game has to be played like that,” Mourinho told reporters.
“And that’s why tomorrow I go for what I consider comparable in terms of dedication and passion: New Zealand against Argentina (in the Rugby World Cup at Wembley). I go tomorrow because I love it. Fantastic, Diego.”
When a reporter claimed Costa should have had three or four bookings, Mourinho suggested that the journalist did not understand physical sport.
“You didn’t play rugby. Trust me. You played badminton. It’s a great sport. Badminton is a great sport,” he said.
Mourinho also used an oval-ball analogy to claim that Chelsea should have had two penalties.
“What Gabriel Paulista did to Eden Hazard is something that is allowed in rugby and not in football. And in the box it’s a penalty. And in the second half (Hector Bellerin) did the same on Diego Costa. In rugby it’s fantastic; in football it’s a penalty.”
Mourinho was clearly enjoying himself, and concluded by saying Wenger “has to cope with his defeat” — a reference to the Frenchman’s prematch taunt that the former Real Madrid coach would have to get used to losing after Chelsea’s poor start to the new season.
It was Chelsea’s second victory in six domestic matches, but came after a morale-boosting midweek win over Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in the opening round of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
And Saturday got even better for Mourinho when league-leading title rival Manchester City dropped its first points, losing 2-1 at home to West Ham in the late game.
Victor Moses, on loan from Chelsea, scored West Ham’s opener and Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho doubled the lead after half an hour.
City’s record signing Kevin de Bruyne reduced the deficit but the London side held on to take second place — three points behind Manuel Pellegrini’s team — on goal difference above Leicester.
Fifth-placed Arsenal was left five points off the lead, having suffered a first league defeat since the opening day.
Wenger’s team also lost in the Champions League in midweek, with striker Olivier Giroud sent off against Dinamo Zagreb.