Leicester 2-0

Indy:

Diego Costa and Eden Hazard come to the rescue after stubborn Foxes threatened to cause a shock
Chelsea 2 Leicester City 0

By MICHAEL CALVIN

Cuddly Chelsea? Hold that thought. Let’s not prepare, prematurely, for the culture shock of football’s arch-pragmatists being transformed into poets. The equivalent of John Terry reinventing himself as a sandal-wearing, muesli-knitting, bleeding heart liberal is some way off.
Idealists dared to dream after Burnley were eviscerated on the opening weekend by the speed, movement and creativity of a team which has been strengthened significantly and strategically for the Second Coming’s second season.
This was a win more in the traditional Jose Mourinho mould, a reward for patience and remorselessness after a frustrating first hour against a well-organised, defiantly durable, newly promoted side.
There is still Something of the Night about Mourinho. He described ever-decreasing circles in his technical area, and pirouetted angrily when Dean Hammond, Leicester’s principal irritant, scythed down André Schürrle before the breakthrough came. He admitted he had to “be a little bit emotional” at half-time.
With him, and to a significant degree Louis van Gaal, the team will never be the star. Collective reputation is secondary to the individuality of his personality. It remains easy to imagine him stealing through fog-shrouded streets, trailing a silky black cape and an air of mystery, but Chelsea have pretensions to be something other than the glee club of an Evil Empire.
They handed out free foam hands to home fans, and peddled T-shirts which depicted Mourinho, somewhat improbably, as The Happy One. A brass band in the forecourt massacred Coldplay’s greatest hits, which may be lift music in the seventh circle of Hell, but it provided a welcome, of sorts.
Mourinho bizarrely used the weather as an excuse for Chelsea’s self-confessed “laziness” in the first half, and stretched credulity still further by suggesting that Fernando Torres has a viable role as one of three regularly rotated strikers.
Despite perceptions that the Spaniard is available for the price of a deep-crust pizza and a bag of sticky toffees, Mourinho insisted his absence from the match day squad was not a signal he is about to join Ashley Cole at Roma, Serie A’s answer to the Sunnyside Senior Citizens’ retreat.
Mourinho’s clinical marginalisation of Petr Cech, after a decade’s service, in favour of Thibaut Courtois, gives him another option since he needs to shed a foreign player from his squad before 1 September to meet Premier League regulations.
There is no-one more isolated than yesterday’s man. Cech, an incongruous figure in his superfluous skull cap, was forced to sit and listen to Stamford Bridge echoing with a chant of “Thibaut” following his replacement’s pivotal one-on-one save from David Nugent.
New heroes are emerging, as old heroes return. It took Torres 19 Premier League matches to accumulate two goals last season. Diego Costa has required only two games to do so. He will not disappear into football’s Bermuda Triangle, the void into which Chelsea forwards of recent vintage have vanished.
When Branislav Ivanovic, freed by Oscar’s subtle pass, squared the ball to the naturalised Spaniard in the 63rd minute Costa’s first touch was poor; he scored with his second. They might as well save time now, and arrange his fitting for the Premier League’s golden boot.
Cesc Fabregas, a fellow refugee from La Liga, is filling the spiritual vacuum left by fabled Frank. He has Lampard’s taut, slightly hunched shoulders as he demands the ball and dictates the tempo of attacks. Though initially wasteful in possession, he still set up Chelsea’s second.
Demand that Eden Hazard tracks back, and he responds with the disdain of a duchess asked to scrub the scullery floor. Give him an inviting pass and a tiring full back and he is a king among men. Leicester’s fate was sealed when he cut in from the left past Ritchie De Laet, and scored with a right foot shot under the outstanding Kasper Schmeichel, following a slight deflection off the lunging Wes Morgan.
So can Chelsea win the title? Mourinho, conscious of the magnitude of the opportunity squandered when they were top of the League with nine matches remaining last season, insisted “we have a lot of work to do”. He was hardly likely to say anything else.
At least Leicester didn’t join their unlikely list of conquerors in the spring, which included Aston Villa, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. The consequences of a lack of drive and intensity, reflected by a first half performance which had the fluidity of slow-setting cement, are obvious.
Successful clubs feed off the men tal energy created by a yearning for players of emotional stature, and the totemic Didier Drogba will be an important factor as the season wears on. He is not a natural starter these days, but the primal scream of hope and exultation which greeted his arrival with 10 minutes left suggests the feelgood factor is back at the Bridge.
Even Roman Abramovich joined in the standing ovation from his executive eyrie. When an Oligarch is on his feet, applauding with arms extended over his head despite the embarrassment of sweaty armpits, anything is possible.

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Observer:

Diego Costa saves profligate Chelsea’s blushes against Leicester City
Barney Ronay at Stamford Bridge

If Chelsea made slightly heavy weather of victory in their first home Premier League fixture of the season, then there was plenty for José Mourinho to take heart from in a 2-0 defeat ofLeicester City pegged out around second-half goals from Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, and a performance that became more convincing as Leicester’s energy levels dropped in the afternoon sun.
The visitors had looked the more settled team in the first half here, tribute to their own energetic and diligent midfield and also to a general sluggishness in Chelsea’s passing and movement. Afterwards, Mourinho blamed the weather, suggesting that his team of Brazilians and Spaniards had been made “lazy” by the sheer unrelenting heat of an autumnal day in west London. In the event, the end result may have had more to do with Mourinho’s own “emotional” response in the dressing room at half-time. “I told them the way we were playing was not good enough to win the game,” Mourinho said. “In the second half we were much more aggressive. It was good, it was fast, and we made it difficult for them.”
It is naturally tempting to make light of successive victories against newly promoted teams, but for Chelsea there are still grounds to sniff out signs of progress here. Defeat by Sunderland at home effectively chloroformed last season’s title challenge, and points were also dropped against West Brom, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Norwich. Beating the teams you expect to beat isn’t everything in the Premier League. But it’s a pretty good place to start, and it is in this kind of fixture that the added cutting edge of Costa might just make the most obvious difference.
Here, the Brazilian-Spanish west Londoner had a fine match, working tirelessly, Atlético-style, and poaching a vital opening goal. Mourinho, who also confirmed that Fernando Torres would not be leaving in the transfer window, said Costa’s integration atChelsea had been “no big deal”. “He’s a happy guy, not speaking good English but always communicating. His integration in the team is good, his style of play also adapted to our needs.”
Not that Chelsea had it all their own way, as Leicester again showed themselves resilient travellers. Mourinho’s pre-match utterances are generally best skimmed for the odd word not specifically dedicated to inflammatory falsehoods, but Chelsea’s manager was correct to offer some wary respect for the Football League’s champion club and here, lining up in a tightly knit 4-4-2, Leicester were sharp in the tackle early on, and pacy on the break throughout.
At times in the first half, the most visible attacker on the pitch was Leicester’s Algerian World Cup winger Riyad Mahrez, who had the first really venomous attempt on goal, after 22 minutes, making space 30 yards out and firing in a low shot that Thibaut Courtois parried away. Moments later, Cesc Fábregas had his best moment of the half, finding André Schürrle on the right and then sprinting between the lines to tee up Oscar for a shot that was deflected over the bar. And that was pretty much that for Chelsea in a first half most notable for the astute positional play of Dean Hammond and Andy King, Leicester’s third and fourth-choice central midfielders.
There was instant improvement from Chelsea at the start of the second half, with Branislav Ivanovic in particular pushed much farther upfield. First, though, Leicester had their own moment to turn this game. David Nugent might like to look away here. With 53 minutes gone (and moments after Oscar had hit the post at the other end), a pass from Hammond put Nugent in on goal, only for Courtois to make a fine low save with his legs. Moments later, it was Nugent v Courtois II, a better chance drawing a better save as Mahrez bypassed the entire Chelsea midfield with a single pass on the break, Nugent hared in on goal and Chelsea’s goalkeeper sprinted out to hurl himself at his feet and deflect a hesitant shot wide.
At the other end, Ivanovic continued to rampage down Chelsea’s right, and it was his burst that made the opening goal after 63 minutes. Taking Oscar’s through-pass, Ivanovic cut inside with all the twirling incision of a thunder-thighed Charlie Cooke, leaving both Liam Moore and Jeff Schlupp on their backsides. His pass inside found Costa, who, despite a bobbly touch, was able to prod past Kasper Schmeichel and low into the net.
Chelsea continued to press and the second goal duly arrived, on 77 minutes. Hazard cut in from the left, wandered across the penalty area waiting for a challenge and then, almost with a shrug, swept a shot across the goal and into the far corner. As with the first goal, Leicester’s defensive efforts had dipped just for a second; together, those moments were enough to cost them the match.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Leicester City 0:
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard score as Jose Mourinho's men continue winning start

By Jonathan Liew, at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea's £32 million striker Diego Costa scores again as the Blues maintain their 100 per cent start to the season
Jose Mourinho turned around to his bench and cracked a little smile. Roman Abramovich stood to applaud, exposing medium-sized sweat patches under his arms. The home supporters were singing odes to Didier Drogba.
A warm summer party was taking place at Stamford Bridge, and the theme of that party appeared to be 2004. All that was missing was a surprise late cameo from Frank Lampard: arriving at the edge of the penalty area by parachute, throwing off his Manchester City shirt, and reliably drilling it in from 19 yards.
A whole lot of fun, then, if you were aChelsea fan. Even Leicester fans could take something from the afternoon: a performance of real poise and spirit, the knowledge that they will certainly not disgrace themselves in this league. All the same, there was a certain inevitability to this result, from the moment Chelsea woke from their first-half siesta and started playing properly again.
Mourinho described his team’s performance during those somnolent first 45 minutes as “lazy”, and added another page to his bulging book of footballing excuses by blaming the warm weather.
“It was not the best weather to play football, because you get a bit lazy,” he said. “They lose a little bit of tension, they lose sharpness in the body. After that, you pass slow, you move slow, the time goes on and on, and when you wake up it is already half-time.” And so at half-time, Mourinho got angry.
“I told them the way we were playing was not good enough to win the game. And that it was impossible to play football if you don’t win one single second ball. I think they understood.”
The improvement was almost immediate. Chelsea were so much quicker after the break, so much more aggressive, andLeicester City were simply overwhelmed.
Chances flowed. Oscar hit a post with a curling shot. But it was a more humble figure who proved the key to unlocking this game.
Branislav Ivanovic is nobody’s idea of a superstar. No child ever pestered their parents to get them an Ivanovic replica shirt. No manager was ever asked in a press conference if they had “any special plans for dealing with Ivanovic”. Yet there is a case for anointing him as Chelsea’s most consistent player of recent years.
Here, he was immense in defence and attack, making the right flank his personal fiefdom, twice forcing Kasper Schmeichel into acrobatic saves, assisting Costa’s opening goal. Receiving Oscar’s dainty through-ball, Ivanovic cut in from the right, left two defenders on their backsides and passed for Costa, who took a touch before finishing with his right foot.
With 13 minutes to go, Hazard made the points safe with a low shot after receiving a pass from Cesc Fabregas. Two-nil, and there was still time for substitute Drogba to receive a king’s welcome on his return to the Bridge after two years away.
Leicester will rue their one golden chance, which fell to David Nugent when it was 0-0. Put clean through by Riyad Mahrez, Nugent looked up to see the imposing figure of Thibaut Courtois charging at him, and ultimately saving the shot with a leg. It was a turning point. Eight minutes later, Chelsea were ahead.
The Championship winners have worn their tough start to the season with courage and skill, although they would perhaps benefit from a little more bite. The signing of Esteban Cambiasso cannot come quickly enough, especially after the injury that forced off midfielder Dean Hammond late on. But Nigel Pearson is finding that signing Champions League winners is a damn sight more complicated than buying Conference strikers.
“It’s proved to be exceptionally hard to find a solution to the negotiations,” the Leicester manager said. “There seem to be so many representatives now. It’s about finding out who’s actually doing the deal.”
For Chelsea, the summer has been a resounding success. The only question is whether anybody will leave the club in the next week. But Mourinho was adamant it would not be Fernando Torres, even though he has been linked with a move to AC Milan, and was not even deemed worthy of a place on the bench here.
“I want three strikers in the team,” Mourinho insisted. “He will play. He will be very useful for us.”
So are Chelsea potential champions? The answer is yes. There are still frailties at the back – Cesar Azpilicueta occasionally looked vulnerable at left-back – but this side look well drilled and well organised, stuffed with movement and creativity and goals, and with the capacity to improve. The big question will be what happens when injuries strike, when fixtures pile up.
Will the likes of Willian, Filipe Luis and Kurt Zouma be able to step in when needed and perform at the required level?
But nobody at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was worrying too much about that.
As the game wound down, as sunshine continued to drench the pitch, it was possible to see in this Chelsea side echoes of Mourinho’s last, a decade ago. There is that same swagger, that same relentless physicality, that same frenetic urgency. Even some of the faces were the same. Golden memories alone will not power Chelsea through an entire season, but for now at least, they seemed more than enough.

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Times:

Diego Costa and Eden Hazard give Leicester history lesson

Alyson Rudd 
Chelsea 2 Leicester 0

For Roman Abramovich there was a strong dose of déjà vu. His first home game as Chelsea owner came against Leicester City precisely 11 years ago to the day. Chelsea won then and they have more or less been winning since - sometimes by being dull, sometimes by being ruthless and now and again by being exceedingly entertainingly attacking.
Abramovic saw the full gamut of what Chelsea can offer as goals from Diego Costa and Eden Hazard saw off a spirited and impressively composed challenge from Nigel Pearson’s side. You might label it half-hearted, you might think of it as relaxed superiority but Chelsea certainly began in underpowered fashion.
André Schürrle scooped a shot well over the bar after stealing the ball from under the feet of Costa, the lone striker, which proved to be Chelsea’s main threat for the opening half hour. It emboldened Leicester although they failed to capitalise. Riyad Mahrez wasted a corner by playing the ball short to Paul Konchesky and instead of delivering one of his trademark tricky crosses, the full back played another short ball and the move petered out.
Still, the visitors were having some fun. They were competitive all over the pitch, confident without being reckless - even if their corners were still annoyingly limp.
When Mahrez twisted and turned 20 yards out he almost surprised Thibaut Courtois, the Chelsea keeper, with a stinging strike. Leicester almost took full advantage of the fact Chelsea lacked any real slickness.
A Mourinho side invariably stir when prodded and in the 36th minute Costa would have scored but for a block made by Wes Morgan. Hazard’s cross was headed clear by Liam Moore and the ball fell very nicely for Schürrle but the German’s volley was far from world-class.
Cesc Fàbregas tried to reprise the beautiful pass he executed on Monday against Burnley but this time Schurrle was offside as he met the former’s Arsenal midfielder’s chipped ball.
It would have come as no great surprise had José Mourinho opted to introduce the ice bucket challenge at half time. His players need to snap out of their contained, relaxed demeanour and start giving Pearson’s side much more to grapple with, both physically and intellectually.
Two minutes into the second half first Oscar, with a curling shot, and then Branislav Ivanovic, with a header from Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross, almost scored with the post and then Kasper Schmeichel saving the visitors.
After Nemanja Matic was too easily dispossessed, the visitors almost took the lead through David Nugent with Courtois illustrating again why he is keeping Petr Cech, the veteran keeper, out of the side.
It became fast and furious now as Ivanovic produced a thunderous shot that Schmeichel did well to reach and then, on the break from the subsequent corner, Nugent failed to make the best of being one on one with Courtois.
Fabregas tried to lob the excellent Schmeichel - and failed. The Spaniard then tried to place a shot past him but that failed also.
The breakthrough came in the 62nd minute when Ivanovic used both his strength and subtlety to set up Diego Costa for his second goal in two games for his new club. Needless to say, few around Stamford Bridge were wondering at that point about the future of Fernando Torres. Costa tried to set up Ivanovic in return but the Spain international timed his pass poorly. He received a standing ovation when replaced in the 80th minute all the same.
In the 77th minute Hazard doubled Chelsea’s lead when his shot deflected in off Morgan.
A late swerving Willian effort brought an agile save from Schmeichel with Chelsea ending the game as sharp as they had earlier been lacklustre.

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Mail:

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester City:

Diego Costa scores on home debut before Eden Hazard seals the points as Jose Mourinho's men eventually down brave Foxes at Stamford Bridge

By Rob Draper

At times last week it seemed some were ready to award Chelsea the Premier League title on the back on a 3-1 win at Burnley.
And though in the end they did re-discover some of that momentum on Saturday, the over-riding lesson of their victory over Leicester was the stark reminder that Chelsea’s season will be a degree tougher in the long run and that they still struggle against well-organised teams.
True, they won comfortably enough in the end with goals from Diego Costa and Eden Hazard. And they could even afford a carnival moment towards the end, with Didier Drogba coming on, a hero returning to his natural home, on 79 minutes.
Yet though all ended happily, Chelsea laboured incredibly to get ahead in the first place. They were truly abject in the first half, languid and one paced, lacking both tempo and creativity, just as they had been for many games last season.
Mourinho disappeared down the tunnel a good three minutes before half time to prepare his team talk. Judging by his team’s response in the second half, their manager had let them know quite how bad it was, though somewhat bizarrely the coach seemed to think the weather - cool and breezy for the time of year - was partly to blame.
‘We have lots of work to do,’ said Mourinho afterwards. ‘Our first half showed clearly that we have to improve. This week I trained at 3 o’clock because I was expecting this, as it’s not the best weather to play football, because you get a bit lazy. But I was unsuccessful in that because the team was lazy in the first half, which I didn’t like. But in the second half everything improved and they showed that they wanted it.
‘I think the weather makes players lazy, lose a bit of tension and sharpness in the body and after that you pass slow you move slow and you don’t react to the second balls and by the time you wake up it’s half time
‘At half time we had to be a little bit emotional with them and make them realise we were at risk,’ said Mourinho. ‘I wasn’t annoyed but I told them that if you have the same feeling I have we’re not in trouble, we will change. But if you don’t we’re in trouble. I think they understood. It’s important not to lose points against teams that normally you would beat.’
It wasn’t simply that Leicester set up well and frustrated Chelsea. Dean Hammond was the most dominant presence in the midfield in the first half while Riyad Mahrez was always lively and indeed produced the first shot on target of the game on 35 minutes, which Thibaut Courtois got down well to save.
‘I’m proud but disappointed,’ said Leicester manager Nigel Pearson afterwards. ‘I’m disappointed we weren’t able to to convert an encouraging performance into a reward with points. The good thing is we created chances throughout the game. We played well but as always it will be about how efficient we are in both penalty areas.
Where Fabregas had thrilled on Monday, in the opening 45 minutes he looked as ineffective as his midfield partner Nemanja Matic. Oscar offered little more. Costa felt the sharp end of his manager’s tongue at one stage and Hazard had reverted to type, leaving Cesar Azpilicueta to deal alone with the frequent incursions of Mahrez.
Half time did indeed prove pivotal. All of the above improved considerably and within minutes of the re-start Oscar had hit the post with a shot from outside the box and Kasper Schmeichel had pulled off an excellent save by pushing wide a Branislav Ivanovic header.
Yet Chelsea were also more open at the back and Courtois was called upon when Hammond played in David Nugent, who forced the Belgian into a fine save with his right leg on 52 minutes. And Nugent had an even better chance when put clean through by Mahrez on 55 minutes, Courtois again being forced to save with an out-stretched leg.
Schmeichel then got a decisive touch to a lovely Fabregas chip on 57 minutes but Costa finally made the breakthrough, when Oscar played a lovely through ball for Ivanovic on 63 minutes. The Chelsea right back managed to take out two defenders with a neat turn and cross for the Brazilian-born striker, who was making his home debut. His chest down looked heavy, but the ball fell kindly and he swept it in past Schmeichel from close range.
Having finally breached Leicester, Chelsea would never again look uncomfortable. And when Fabregas played in Hazard on 77 minutes, the Belgian simply cut inside his man and shot past Schmeichel for 2-0.
The game safe, there was time for that a sentimental moment with Drogba, after two years away, coming on to a hero’s welcome.
High in the stands, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich beamed – a change from his usual default scowl – and wildly clapped his hands above his head in delight. Never have we seen the Russian quite so animated. Safe to say, his mood had changed somewhat from the opening 45 minutes

CHELSEA: Courtois 8, Ivanovic 7, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Azpilicueta 6.5, Matic 6, Fabregas 7, Oscar 7 (Willian 6, 70), Hazard 6.5, Schurrle 6.5 (Ramires 6.5, 64), Costa 7 (Drogba 6.5, 80).
Subs not used: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Mikel.
Goals: Costa (62), Hazard (77).

LEICESTER CITY: Schmeichel 8.5, De Laet 7, Konchesky 6.5, Morgan 6.5, Hammond 8 (Taylor-Fletcher 6.5, 73), King 6.5, Schlupp 7, Mahrez 7.5 (Albrighton 6, 68), Nugent 7, Ulloa 6.5 (Wood 84).
Subs not used: Hamer, Hopper, Knockaert, Wasilewski.
Booking: Hammond (52).

REFEREE: Lee Mason 6.5.
ATTENDANCE: 41,604.

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Mirror:

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester:
Costa and Hazard on target as Blues break down spirited visitors

By Dave Kidd

The hosts took their time to get off the mark at Stamford Bridge but ultimately had too much firepower for the Foxes
They are not quite strutting around the Stamford Bridge turf, performing party tricks and whistling Sweet Georgia Brown like the Harlem ­Globetrotters just yet.
They have only defeated two newly-promoted sides in Burnley and Leicester so far.
And their first-half performance was branded ‘lazy’ by Jose Mourinho, who admitted he had to get ‘emotional’ athalf-time to propel them into life.
But there were significant suggestions in the second period that Mourinho may be fashioning a Chelsea team capable of being successful and entertaining in equal measure – very much the Holy Grail of Roman Abramovich.
Diego Costa netted his second goal in as many games, Thibaut Courtois made a critical save from Dave Nugent with the match still scoreless and Cesc Fabregas produced a glorious piece of skill to do Leicester’s Gary Taylor-Fletcher in cold blood late on.
Mourinho, though, was disgruntled at his team’s lethargy in the first half. He said: “I had to be a bit emotional and make them realise it wasn’t good enough.
“Our first half showed clearly that we have to improve. I normally train in the morning but this week we trained at 3pm because I was expecting something like this.
“It’s not the best weather to play football because we get a bit lazy. We passed slow, moved slow and by the time we woke up it was half-time.
“In the second half we were much more aggressive, we won second balls and we were too strong for them.”
Yet Mourinho must be pleased to see his trio of new recruits nicely settled in ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Everton for the first serious test of their title credentials.
They head to Merseyside with cause for cautious optimism. Their first home match of the Abramovich era, 11 years ago, was also against Leicester, in a match which produced three red cards and a winner from Adrian Mutu, who later failed a drugs test.
Chelsea have come a long way since but, save for one halcyon season under Carlo Ancelotti, have never mixed bravura football with trophies.
Abramovich was beaming yesterday with his pal Andrei Shevchenko – one signing that certainly didn’t work out – alongside him in his executive box.
Fernando Torres, that modern-day Shevchenko, did not even make the 18-man squad yesterday, although Mourinho is adamant his £50million striker will not leave before next Monday’s deadline.
Goals from Costa and Eden Hazard sent Chelsea top – and but for a second-half show from Kasper Schmeichel, they may have won by a hatful.
Yet Leicester neutralised them in the first half, carving out the first chance when a turn and shot from Riyad Mahrez forced a save from Courtois.
Costa whistled one over and was then denied by a hard-but-fair Wes Morgan tackle which had ­Mourinho and most of the Bridge screaming for a penalty.
But it was as if Mourinho had simply pressed the fast-forward button; Chelsea doubling their speed and intensity. Oscar curled one against the far post and for a while it was Schmeichel who kept Chelsea at bay. Yet Leicester were always ­threatening.
On 62 minutes, the dam finally broke – Oscar fed Ivanovic, who took out two defenders with one turn and centred for Costa, who chested down and stabbed past Schmeichel. And 13 minutes from time, Oscar cut in from the left and fired in a shot which deflected off Wes Morgan.
There was a cameo from Didier Drogba. But the Ivorian almost looked like a reminder of Chelsea’s more resilient and functional past. The future promises to be rather more easy on the eye.

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Express:

Chelsea 2 - Leicester City 0: Diego Costa is just too hot to handle

HOW the Chelsea fans revelled in the riches on show as they stood in noisy appreciation of the pair of strikers they trust will bring the Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge.

Jim Holden

As the new £32million striker Diego Costa walked off the field he stopped to embrace the returning veteran Chelsea hero Didier Drogba, back for the first time in blue.
There were 10 minutes left. The match was won, the team was top of the table, Costa had scored to make it two in two games, and now sight of the giant Drogba gave them an extra surge of joy.
The joint applause grew to a crescendo and the sound will have echoed far and wide, and been heard with crystal clarity by their rivals.
The psychology of the moment is likely to be felt again and again on
so many grounds in the coming months - and is surely exactly what manager Jose Mourinho had in mind when he signed both men in the summer.
It was a lack of goals that ruined Chelsea's title challenge last season. It will not this time.
When the substitution was complete, the crowd chanted a name - and it was that of Costa.
His goal early in the second half settled the anxiety that had filled Stamford Bridge after a tepid opening period and a series of brilliant saves early in the second half by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
A stunning move down the right flank ended with a cross from Branislav Ivanovic tumbling awkwardly to Costa.
The Spanish striker took it expertly on his chest and rifled a shot into the net.
Costa seems to be the perfect striker for Chelsea - a bullish forward with the requisite speed and touch for a team that is so devastating on the counter-attack.
Most important of all, he scores goals. One chance in the first half was denied by a courageous block from Leicester's admirable captain Wes Brown. His second opportunity was buried.
Mourinho is not surprised about the instant impact of Costa, but he emphatically refuted rumours that the club's other Spanish striker, Fernando Torres would move to Italy.
Torres was not even on the bench yesterday, and is clearly behind Costa and Drogba in the pecking order, but Mourinho said: "He is not going anywhere. There is no chance of that.
"I need three strikers this season and Fernando will play many games and he will score goals."
Time will tell on that front.
Leicester were certainly staunch opponents yesterday - organised in defence, composed on the ball, and all the better for a superb keeper who made two magnificent flying saves to deny a header and a piledriver shot from Ivanovic.
On another day they might have won a point, and striker David Nugent wasted a great chance early in the second half at 0-0 when clear on goal and finding Chelsea's new keeper Thibaut Courtois a formidable presence.
Mourinho said Chelsea had been "lazy in the first half", claiming the coldest August on record was too hot for this players. Even he had the decency to laugh at a risible excuse.
When Chelsea found their fluency after an urgent half-time reminder from an unimpressed manager they were irresistible.
Costa's goal on 63 minutes was followed by a lovely second from Eden Hazard in the 77th minute as the Belgian waltzed in from the left flank and fired a fierce low shot into the net.
They might have scored many more. Schmeichel also made a fingertip save to keep out a delicate chip from Cesc Fabregas, and pushed another shot from Willian over the bar.
Fabregas was relatively quiet on his home debut for Chelsea, but still flourished some exquisite passes. And goalkeeper Courtois was mightily impressive in all his work.
Defeat was expected for Leicester, yet manager Nigel Pearson departed with regrets, saying: "It was a very encouraging performance and I'm disappointed we couldn't convert that into points.
"We showed we are a very capable side with talented players, and the good thing is that we were positive and created chances throughout the game and made their keeper work.
"For the most part we played very well today."
True enough. But you have to take your chances when they come, and that is why Diego Costa will prove so precious for Chelsea.

MAN of MATCH: Branislav Ivanovic - superb work in defence and attack from the ever-reliable full-back.

CHELSEA: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Hazard, Oscar (Willian 69), Schurrle (Ramires 63); Costa (Drogba 80).

LEICESTER: Schmeichel; De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky; Mahrez (Albrighton 68), King, Hammond (Taylor-Fletcher 73), Schlupp; Ulloa (Wood 84); Nugent.

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Star:

Chelsea 2 Leicester 0: Diego Costa fires Blues past Foxes

By Tony Stenson

CHELSEA legend Didier Drogba arrived to a thunderous welcome on his comeback.
But it was dwarfed by the applause for the man he replaced, Chelsea hero Diego Costa.
Even the usually sour-faced owner Roman Abramovich stood and applauded as his £32million new boy left the field late on.
Costa had done his job, scoring for the second successive week and finally easing Chelsea’s nerves.
And if luck wins you titles, then give it to Chelsea now.
It needed Costa’s home debut goal to finally wipe the worried look off boss Jose Mourinho’s face.
Eden Hazard added a 76th-minute second to add another ripple of a smile to Abramovich’s face.
Mourinho said: “We were lazy in the first half, too slow. We were not good enough.
“It needed for me to be emotional at half-time. We were slow, did not do the basic things. We came out a different side.
“We won the second ball but we still have a lot of work to do.
“We are expected to beat the likes of Burnley and Leicester but all credit to them. I say well done. They are two fine sides.
“At 0-0 today Leicester could have won it but for my goalkeeper.
“I had a vision Diego would do well in this league. He doesn’t speak much English but he is a happy person who gives his all.
“Fernando Torres wasn’t on the bench because I wanted to keep the same side that played Burnley.
“He will not be sold. I need two top strikers. We are coming into a period of three games a week and players get injured or suspended. I need him.”
Leicester were a side full of enterprise, power, the ability to defend and in keeper Kasper Schmeichel, they had a true hero.
Chelsea also needed their keeper Thibaut Courtois to prove once again why he has taken over from Petr Cech as he made a number of timely saves.
Leicester defended well, attacked in numbers and would have hurt a lesser side than Chelsea.
Algerian Riyad Mahrez forced Courtois to dive full length to his left to keep out a stinging 32nd-minute shot.
But Costa was a menace, a powerful bull of a man who took time to find his range and when he did, Leicester’s defenders just bounced off him.
Cesc Fabregas found it hard to pull the strings in midfield and only Andre Schurrle offered any menace in attack. Chelsea went into the match having won their last 11 opening league games and have a record of six straight wins over Leicester in all competitions.
The Foxes arrived having not won on any of their last 14 Premier League visits to London grounds.
Their last top-flight victory in the capital was, ironically, at Stamford Bridge, in 2000 when Stan Collymore and Chelsea old boy Muzzy Izzet scored.
They almost did it again yesterday and if David Nugent had kept his nerve in front of goal it could have been a different story before the Blues scored.
There was no Torres on Chelsea’s bench, Mourinho going to ageing Drogba as a back-up striker. Drogba got a loud reception whenever he warmed up on the touchline – something Torres can only dream about.
Oscar finished last season as if his mind was on the World Cup.
He played yesterday like he was still in mourning for Brazil’s semi-final hammering by Germany.
His passing was totally off and it was no surprise when he was substituted by compatriot Willian, who immediately sparked a Chelsea revival.
The home side did not wake up until the second half with Oscar, showing a rare glimpse of form, hitting a post with a decent 47th-minute cross.
And then a minute later Branislav Ivanovic had a header well saved by Schmeichel when he latched on to a Cesar Azpilicueta cross.
Ivanovic, who never gives less than 100 per cent, then had a powerful shot turned out again by Schemichel four minutes later before Leicester ripped through their defence and Nugent, totally unmarked, raced down on goal only for Courtois to deflect his shot wide.
Costa finally made the breakthrough in the 62nd minute when he turned in Ivanovic’s cross from the right.
Then Hazard finally found a bit of magic to score from a difficult angle in the 67th minute.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson said: “I am disappointed we were unable to convert an encouraging performance into a winning one.
“We created chances throughout the game. We made their keeper work and we didn’t wait to see how Chelsea approached the game.
“We wanted to be positive but as always it is about how efficient you are in both boxes.
“I thought we continued to put in a very honest performance. We didn’t have the quality but there was a lot to enjoy.”