MANCHESTER, Sporting Alert – Diego Costa tries to start a fight, while John Terry his haul off at halftime at Etihad Stadium on Sunday as Chelsea and Manchester City are battling in a strong Premier League fixture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZzk3Co80Ko
Television pictures from the Etihad showed Chelsea forward Diego Costa having to be pulled away by his teammates as he tries to get at Manchester City player Fernandinho, whose elbow left his head in a bandage.
Heading into the halftime break, the Spanish forward had to be held back by his Chelsea teammates Branislav Ivanovic and Cesc Fabregas as he tries to get to Fernandinho as the players were heading for the tunnel.
Surrounded by his teammates as he heads off the pitch, Costa was dragged down the tunnel in an attempt to prevent him from doing something silly that could have seen him being punished.
CAPTAIN TERRY PULLED; AGUERO TOO MUCH FOR HIM?
John Terry in the meantime, has surprisingly been replaced by Kurt Zouma in the heart of the defense for the Blues.
There were no reported injuries from the Chelsea camp and Terry is out with the rest of the substitutes and is on the bench, so it had to be for tactical reasons from manager Jose Mourinho.
Sergio Aguero, who scored the opening goal for Manchester City in the first half, was having a lot of joy against the Chelsea captain so Mourinho might have very well made the switch to try to keep the Man City forward a little more quiet.
Terry played every minute of the title-winning campaign last year, but it is clear the former England international doesn’t have the same kind of stamina and agility to keep up with a player as talented at Aguero.
According to Opta Stats: “John Terry has been substituted in a PL game for the first time since May 2013 (v Villa) and for the first time under Mourinho. Hooked.
Chelsea just haven’t been themselves since the start of the preseason and again, the likes of Terry, Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Ivanovic and Fabregas have all been out of form, which is a major worry for Mourinho, who has struggled to strengthen his squad this summer.
