The Revitalisation Of The Moody Front Man: In Praise Of Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud

While their respective supporters might not care to admit it, there are a lot of similarities between Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud. Both of them are strong, aggressive front men; both of them have been disparaged over their pace and physique, but are far more cultured on the ball than people give them credit for; both of them have the propensity to intimidate opponents and distract defenders; both are prone to barren spells in front of goal, but ultimately have the sheer bloodymindedness to pull themselves back from the brink. On top of all that, Costa and Giroud share a crucial characteristic, one which makes them infinitely watchable and entertaining, if not always likeable. They are English football's mardiest bastards, and their moodiness pours forth from every aspect of their game.

In recent times, Costa and Giroud have had good reason to be moody. Even when they are at their best, they are the John Lydons, the Liam Gallaghers, the angry young men of the Premier League. Imagine, then, just how moody they are after the frustrations of the past season and a half, in which Costa has suffered from mixed form, behavioural controversies and rumours of a move away from Chelsea, while Giroud has been plagued by a similar slide in his performances as well as a succession of niggling injuries. They are angrier, tetchier and more petulant than ever but, crucially, they are now harnessing that energy in a productive way.

With Costa especially, there was a sense at times last season that his off-the-ball hijinks were detracting from his general game. While he was once able to balance his acts of brinkmanship with a prolific strike rate, 2015/16 was a different kettle of fish. The running scraps and vicious one-on-one battles with defenders were still as numerous as ever, but it started to feel as if Costa's opponents were using his irritability to their advantage. Rather than his antics acting as a clever means of distraction, they seemed to become the be-all and end-all, and the fact that he managed only 16 goals in all competitions suggested that his underhand tactics had lost much of their former effectiveness. Meanwhile, as last season wore on, Giroud seemed to spend more and more of his time on the pitch complaining theatrically, with a comparable neglect for his primary job of scoring some actual goals.

Having come in for significant criticism from press and fans alike as a result, the two strikers came into this campaign at a relatively low ebb. Costa and Giroud looked revitalised this weekend, however, and gave showings which suggested they are on the way back up. Whatever their failings, neither can be accused of a lack of motivation, and it seems the sting of a public scolding has spurred them into action. Costa scored a screamer against Southampton on Sunday, his eighth goal of the season, and that followed up on a lightning-quick brace from Giroud against Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. Naturally, both men celebrated with ill-tempered abandon. Whisper it, but the Premier League's moodiest front men might be back to their crabby and belligerent best.