Costa undergoes Chelsea medical - reports

LONDON: Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has completed a medical examination with a view to joining Premier League giants Chelsea, according to reports in the British media on Wednesday.

The BBC and The Guardian both claimed that the Brazil-born player, who is currently preparing for the World Cup with Spain in the United States, is now close to completing a move to Stamford Bridge.

Costa, 25, is expected to cost Chelsea around £32 million ($53.6 million, 39.4 million euros).The rugged centre-forward scored 27 league goals and eight Champions League goals last season for Atletico, who won La Liga and were beaten 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Lisbon.

He notably scored from the penalty spot during Atletico´s 3-1 Champions League semi-final victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Costa began his European career with Portuguese club Sporting Braga and initially joined Atletico in 2007. After loan spells with Celta Vigo and Albacete and a season at Real Valladolid, he returned to Atletico in 2010, spending another period on loan at Rayo Vallecano in early 2012.

His time in Spain enabled him to acquire Spanish nationality and despite having made two friendly appearances for Brazil in March 2013, he decided to commit himself to Spain later that year.

Costa made his Spain debut in a friendly against Italy in March this year, playing for the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory at Atletico´s Vicente Calderon Stadium.

He is expected to lead the line for Spain at the World Cup in Brazil, although he is battling an ongoing hamstring problem that forced him off in the early stages of last month´s Champions League final. (AFP)

Chelsea put up a superb show to dent Liverpool title chances

LIVERPOOL: An untimely slip by Steven Gerrard inadvertently helped Chelsea claim a 2-0 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday that reignited their title ambitions.

The Liverpool captain lost his footing in first-half injury time, enabling Demba Ba to run through and score, with Willian adding a late second as Jose Mourinho´s side moved to within two points of the summit.

The result brought Liverpool´s 11-game winning streak to an end and although it resurrected Chelsea´s title chances, the chief beneficiaries by the end of the day were Manchester City.

Mourinho, who travelled separately from his squad because he is ill, will now turn his attention to Wednesday´s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, with the tie in the balance at 0-0.

Anfield was already simmering when Luis Garcia, scorer of the decisive goal when these sides met in the 2005 Champions League semi-finals, was paraded to fans before kick-off, raising the noise levels even further.

Mourinho had made seven changes to his starting XI, awarding a full debut to 20-year-old Czech centre-back Tamas Kalas, and the visitors set out to spoil the game right from kick-off.

They were dallying over free-kicks within minutes of the whistle being blown, while Gerrard at one point had to wrench the ball from Mourinho´s grasp as the Chelsea manager attempted to prevent a quick throw-in.

Chelsea were the first side to threaten, however, with home goalkeeper Simon Mignolet obliged to parry a shot from Ashley Cole.

At the other end, Luis Suarez teed up Philippe Coutinho to volley into the side-netting and then found Mamadou Sakho with a drilled cross, only for the Frenchman to hoist the ball over the bar from close range.

Suarez also curled an effort over, but Chelsea finished the half strongly, and after the unmarked Kalas had headed badly wide from a corner, Gerrard´s nightmare moment let the visitors in.

After letting a pass from Sakho run under his foot, the England captain slipped as he tried to recover.

As Anfield gasped, Ba stole in, racing through and calmly threading the ball past Mignolet.

Liverpool resumed their assault on the Chelsea goal after the interval, but a deflected Gerrard effort that Mark Schwarzer saved easily was the best they could muster in the early stages.

Rodgers responded by sending on the fit-again Daniel Sturridge and Schwarzer was obliged to exert himself fully moments later, plunging to his left to repel a Joe Allen volley.

Chelsea, however, carried a threat on the counter-attack and it took a fine one-handed save by Mignolet to prevent Andre Schurrle from making it 0-2.

Allen and Gerrard each saw long-range efforts saved by Schwarzer, while the Liverpool captain could only plant a header straight at the goalkeeper from Suarez´s dinked cross.

Suarez had one last chance in injury time, when a punch from Schwarzer fell straight to him, but the goalkeeper palmed the Uruguayan´s shot away.

Chelsea had the last word, with Fernando Torres racing clear and unselfishly teeing up fellow substitute Willian for an easy tap-in that Mourinho celebrated by thumping his chest on the touchline. (AFP)