Peter Hill-Wood has branded Diego Costa a ‘serial cheat’ in one of the most understated accusations of our times.

The Chelsea man, who surely can’t even walk to his car without trying to get someone sent off, made sure that Per Mertesacker saw red on Sunday when the German lunged in , preferring to ensure a red card was issued rather than stay on his feet and try to score (imagine how Sergio Aguero would have acted in the same situation).

Speaking to the Daily Star, Hill-Wood, who has long had links with that particular redtop dating back to the time that the late Brian Woolnough was editor, didn’t hold back.

“He is a serial cheat and he gets away with it,” Hill-Wood told the paper. “I think he deliberately ran in front of Mertesacker, who hardly touched him.

“Yet Costa rolls around as if his legs have been cut off. Once the red card’s been shown, he’s suddenly perfectly all right again.

“That’s because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him. There certainly wasn’t soon after when he scored that goal.

“Personally I think the referee should have sent him off for diving. It’s very annoying because to me it is blatant.”

While it is easy to get annoyed at Costa and focus all our anger on him, we do need to ask just why Arsenal players aren’t able to wise up to his cheaty ways? Surely knowing that it is Costa, you do as little as possible to give him the chance to cheat.

Sure, it would be nice if referees got a clue, but until then, we need to take more responsibility as a team.