Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has revealed how he teamed up with Rob Holding to keep Chelsea striker Diego Costa quiet in the FA Cup final using special tactics to frustrate the Spain international.
Mertesacker and Holding started in defence for the Gunners at Wembley on Saturday after Laurent Koscielny was ruled out through suspension and Gabriel was sidelined with injury.
The pair went on to put in a superb showing as they contained Costa - who ended the season with 20 Premier League goals - until the 76th minute when the Brazilian-born Spain forward netted Chelsea's equaliser.
The goal could not inspire Antonio Conte's side to victory, however, and Mertesacker has now opened up about the tactics he and Holding used to rile up Costa during the match.
In Pictures | Arsenal vs Chelsea, FA Cup Final | 27/05/2017
The Arsenal defender said: "We went to work on Diego Costa.
"Rob was giving him a really hard time. I kept patting him on the back, being friendly, while Rob kept on talking to him. A good double act. It was very exciting to see how quickly things can turn.
"What was really important was that we kept on running with Costa, to make sure those long balls didn’t get to him.
"We were prepared for that. Especially when Fabregas came on, we were ready to run back to cut out those long balls over the top that he plays.
"You have to say it couldn’t have gone much better for us. The team’s performance was incredible. I don’t know how many would have expected that."
