Slaven Bilic adamant Diego Costa should’ve been sent off before scoring Chelsea winner against West Ham

DIEGO COSTA was at the centre of another red-card row on Monday night.

The Chelsea match-winner could easily have got sent off for a lunge on Adrian.

5

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said: “We’re not happy with it. I saw the tackle once again. I don’t think it was reckless but it was late.

“Nine times out of ten a challenge on a goalkeeper like that looks like a booking. Unfortunately, this was the tenth time. He should have got a yellow and then a red.”

Costa had already been booked when he clattered into fellow Spaniard Adrian in a goalmouth tangle at Stamford Bridge.

Bilic fumed: “It’s the first game of the season and we are already talking about those kind of decisions.”

West Ham captain Mark Noble also blasted striker Costa’s lucky escape.

RELATED ARTICLES

COSTA SAVING

Chelsea 2 West Ham 1: Diego Costa and Eden Hazard ensure Antonio Conte gets off to a flier at Stamford Bridge

HAMMER TIME?

Hal Robson-Kanu watches Hammers play Chelsea and could be answer to striker crisis

Tacky Tricolore

Antonio Conte welcomed at Stamford Bridge by tacky display depicting Italian flag

TELLING THIBS

Thibaut Courtois tells Chelsea supporters he never indicated that he wanted to leave

5

5

He said: “It’s a yellow card, isn’t it? I’ve seen the tackle and he’s wiped his ankle out completely.”

The 67th-minute flashpoint overshadowed a huge win for Antonio Conte in his first Prem game as Chelsea boss.

Conte said: “I didn’t see the incident. Costa put pressure on the keeper and the ref took the right decision.”

But Sky pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville insisted Costa should have been shown a red for his studs-up challenge on the Hammers keeper.

Carragher said: “It was a straight red, it was down the shin and over the ankle. He shouldn’t have stayed on the pitch.”

Neville added: “It’s a bad one. It was typical Costa.”

5

5

Costa was cautioned by ref Anthony Taylor in the first half under a new rule this season to stop players barracking officials.

Eden Hazard put Chelsea ahead with a 47th- minute penalty, only for James Collins to equalise with 13 minutes to go.

Colourful Italian Conte celebrated Costa’s 89th-minute winner by sprinting along the touchline and burying himself among the Chelsea fans.

He said: “I’m delighted because I saw a lot of good things, a lot of things we are working on.”

Chelsea skipper John Terry added: “It was so important for us to get a good start. It was great for the fans and boss.”