Jose Mourinho believes Diego Costa’s scintillating start to his Chelsea career proves he was right to wait for the Spain striker.
Costa returned from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty to score a hat-trick in the Blues’ 4-2 Premier League victory over Swansea at Stamford Bridge.
And with Costa already now up to seven goals from his four opening matches, Chelsea manager Mourinho is delighted with the £32 million ($53.1 million, 40.4 million euros) striker, who only arrived in the close-season even though the west Londoners have been searching for a forward since last year.
Costa’s contribution against Swansea left Chelsea as the only team to have taken maximum points from their four league games this season.
Chelsea now face Schalke at home in the Champions League on Wednesday with Mourinho hoping Costa provides a similar performance, although he is eager not to put too much pressure on the 25-year-old.
“If the team plays well he has to score goals,” Mourinho said. “Seven goals in four Premier League matches is maybe too much, we cannot expect that after eight matches he has 14 goals. I think it is too much to ask but the way he is playing and the team is playing, if he keeps scoring a few goals, a few goals give points and points help the team to be in the top part of the table.
“He surprises me because seven goals in four matches is something that is not normal. But he’s comfortable in the team and the team is built in a way that we were waiting for a certain type of striker.
“And I think everyone knows Chelsea did the right thing by waiting for him and not going to the market in the summer of 2013 or January of 2014 just to buy a striker.”
Swansea went ahead when Chelsea captain John Terry diverted Neil Taylor’s left-wing cross into his own net on 11 minutes.
