Looking back at Diego Costa's Legacy in the FPL
It appears as if the honeymoon is over, the marriage is long dead, and the divorce is now just a formality. Worst of all, Diego Costa was finally let go of his current club relationship by a text message. Being told by Antonio Conte that his services are no longer required, it's only fitting that in his final days as a Chelsea player we take a look back at the record books before their scrubbed ahead of the 2017/18 FPL season.
Diego Costa was a unique figure, both on the field and in Fantasy warfare. On his day he was the best Forward in the Premier League, but he had another side of his game that would occasionally rear. Yellow cards, suspensions, disputes with the club, and the lingering fear that he could implode the chances of him. Captain him if you dared, here's how Costa got in in the 2016/17 FPL season.
Diego Costa's 2016/17 FPL Numbers
Appearances: 35 appearances (35 starts, subbed 7 times)
Goals: 20 (4th best overall)
Assists: 11 (joint 6th overall, 1st amongst Forwards and the only attacker to reach 10)
Discipline: 10 yellows, 0 red cards (was the only Chelsea player to receive 10 yellows)
Bonus Points: 25 points (9th overall)
Overall Points: 196 points (8th overall)
FPL % Ownership: 32.4% (final)
Points per match: 5.6 points per game
Times in Dream Team: 3 appearances
With Costa proving to be among the top players during the 2016/17 season, he was the man to bank on in the first half of the season. If you didn't have the Spanish international, more times than not he'd come to bite you in the ass as some point, and it still stings. Costa was critical for scrapping Chelsea out of a hole, as seen below.
Costa's Vital Goals for Chelsea
GW1: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham (Costa 89th minute - winner)
GW2: Watford 1-2 Chelsea (Costa 87th minute - winner)
GW4: Swansea 2-2 Chelsea (Costa brace, 81st minute equaliser)
GW7: Hull 0-2 Chelsea (Costa, 67th minute - second goal)
GW8: Chelsea 3-0 Leicester (Costa 8th minute - opening goal)
GW10: Southampton 0-2 Chelsea (Costa 55th minute - second goal)
GW12: Middlesbrough 0-1 Chelsea (Costa 41st minute - winner)
GW15: Chelsea 1-0 West Brom (Costa 76th minute - winner)
GW17: Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea (Costa 43rd minute - winner)
GW27: West Ham 1-2 Chelsea (Costa 50th minute - winner)
GW34: Chelsea 4-2 Southampton (Costa brace, 53rd and 89th minute goals - winner)
Costa's reliance didn't go unnoticed for the 30% plus that anchored him in their FPL teams for the majority of the season. But it wasn't all blossoming for Costa in the FPL in the second half of the season. After a public row with Antonio Conte, an action that probably helped spark the end of season text message that he'd longer be part of the clubs plans (something ludicrous given his 6 match winning goals and overall forward play), Costa was famously dropped for Chelsea's 3-0 away victory at Leicester, which was the crowning moment of Marcos Alonso's season. Of course, Costa came back the next week for Gameweek 22 and scored against Hull, but the manner of his Leicester no show was the beginning of the end for him in the public eye of Fantasy players across the lands.
The goal scored against Hull was one of the last 6 Costa would score in the league, failing to score in 11/16 Premier League appearances as the season came to a close. Costa did manage to have his best Gameweek of the season against Southampton in a thrilling 4-2 encounter at Stamford Bridge, notching a personal high of 16 points from 2 goals, an assist, and all 3 bonus points.
Costa ended the season doing what he does against a club like Sunderland who like to poke the bear; getting an assist for Chelsea, being yellow carded for dissent against the referee, before being subbed on the 61st minute, and ending with 4 points, and an overall of 196pts, just 4 shy of the illusive 200 mark.
The impact Costa has had doesn't just span for the 2016/17 season, his impact started from the first game, when he marked his Premier League debut with a goal away at Burnley, a game that started the Fabregas/Costa connection.
Diego Costa's FPL Record
2014/15: 150 points (20 goals, 3 assists, 18 bonus, 8 yellow cards)
2015/16: 129 points (12 goals, 7 assists, 14 bonus, 8 yellow cards)
2016/17: 196 points (20 goals, 11 assists, 25 bonus points, 10 yellow cards)
Overall Total: 475 points (52 goals, 21 assists, 57 bonus points, 26 yellow cards)
The season just gone proved to be Costa's most prolific in a Chelsea shirt, with his assist tally pushing him over the edge, and onto a 46 point difference between the 2014/15 season.
Costa, regardless of where he goes, will be remembered fondly in the FPL, and if it is the Sunderland game that is going to prove to be his last in the Premier League, then we've a Chelsea loyal within our own ranks that is going to find it hard to see him go. Our own @HypeTrainPhil has labelled Costa as the best Forward Chelsea have had in the Premier League, given his work rate and ruthless streak in front of goal, and he doesn't see anyone better to lead the line, which means any replacement will most likely be a downgrade.
To end the season Costa made The Hype Train's Team of the Year squad for the 2016/17 season, a fitting tribute to his contribution throughout the season.
It's likely that a return to Athletico Madrid is on the cards for Costa, but that can't happen until January 2018 due to Athletico's transfer ban, which currently leaves the Chelsea forward in career limbo until Chelsea provide clarity over his future.
Boarded. Dominated. Departed.
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The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in the Fantasy Premier League (#FPL), providing beautiful graphics and weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb ranking tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review movies, live sport, and professional wrestling.
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