Costa goal lifts weight off striker´s shoulders – Mourinho

Jose Mourinho believes Diego Costa’s goal in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Norwich City will lift a huge weight off the striker’s shoulders.

The Spain international failed to find the net in 603 minutes in all competitions before scoring the winner after 64 minutes at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, struggling to live up to his 20-goal league haul from last season.

But Mourinho has sympathy with the player and is backing Costa to put his uncharacteristic dry spell behind him.

“With so many pundits in the papers, on the television and on the radio, some of them are strikers and know the feeling,” he said.

“You don’t score goals, you get heavier. Every game that you don’t score goals, you have five kilos more.

“You get heavy and the pressure is there.

“First half he misses two chances – the second one in the last minute is really a big one – so it was important for him [to score], important for us.

“He’s working well, he’s a happy guy. He tries everything, he’s positive.

“If I had to choose somebody to score the winning goal, I would go exactly with him.”