Costa given price boost to bag the opener on his Chelsea debut
Published:After an opening weekend of action when most of their main title rivals managed to plunder three points, Chelsea are well aware they can ill-afford not to follow suit at Burnley.
Fortunately for the Blues, their manager has never lost the first league game of a campaign at any of his clubs, and after an excellent summer in the transfer market they will be confident of extending that record with a win.
Chelsea are as short as 2/5 to beat the Clarets, but those hunting bigger odds will be delighted to learn than Ladbrokes have boosted Diego Costa’s price to score first from 7/2 to 9/2.
The striker was signed from Atletico Madrid for £32m over the summer and an impressive pre-season suggests he will hit the ground running at his new club.
Costa bagged four times in friendlies to demonstrate that the fitness issues that hampered his World Cup campaign are well and truly behind him.
Last season Costa started the year in ridiculous fashion, netting 23 goals in his first 20 games in all competitions for Atletico.
That run began with an opening-day double, including the first goal, as Los Colchoneros won 3-1 away at Sevilla.
The 25-year-old went on to score 27 times in La Liga in 35 appearances, drawing first blood for Atleti on nine occasions.
As the focal point of an attack that includes prolific creators like Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Oscar and Willian, Costa will be given the best possible chance to succeed in England.
The Stamford Bridge striker-curse has reduced top-class strikers to shrivelled wrecks in recent seasons, but Costa, with his physical style and aptitude for the ‘dark arts’, looks well suited to England’s top-flight.
With Chelsea expected to continue the defensive form that saw them top the clean-sheet table last year with 18, Costa could bag more than his fair share of opening goals this term, starting at Turf Moor.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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