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Premier League: West Brom boss Alan Irvine questions Costa goal in Chelsea defeat

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West Brom's Alan Irvine was unhappy with Chelsea first goal in their defeat at Stamford Bridge, feeling it was offside.

West Brom boss Alan Irvine was unhappy with Chelsea's first goal in their defeat at Stamford Bridge, feeling Diego Costa was offside before he scored.

Costa's first-half opener set Chelsea on their way to all three points, although there was a suspicion of offside as he volleyed home Oscar's pass.

Eden Hazard doubled the lead before Claudio Yacob was shown a straight red card for reckless two-footed tackle on Costa before the half hour mark.

Irvine was disappointed with both goals conceded by West Brom feeling going behind so early on left them with an uphill battle.

"Obviously I am bitterly disappointed that we have lost the game and disappointed that it was so difficult for us from early in the game to get something out of it," Irvine told Sky Sports.

"Well we actually went a goal down to a goal which I thought was offside and that makes life very difficult here.

"The second goal was extremely disappointing from our point of view because we pride ourselves on being organised at set-pieces and we weren't as organised as we should have been and then of course the sending off makes it extremely difficult."

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Irvine had no complaints with referee Lee Mason's decision to send off Yacob feeling he had no option but to show the Argentine a red card.

"I can understand why Lee Mason sends Claudio off," added Irvine. "Claudio certainly wasn't trying to injure or even make contact with Diego Costa but the rules are fairly clear nowadays that if you leave the ground with both feet and then that is deemed to be the player is not in control so I am quite sure that is why Lee would have sent him off," added Irvine.

Irvine praised his players and in particular goalkeeper Ben Foster for keeping Chelsea at bay despite playing for an hour with just 10 men.

"I think our lads deserve credit because we knew how difficult it was going to be to play against them with eleven men so to play so long with only 10 and keep them fairly quiet was obviously down to a lot of hard work and good organisation from our players," added Irvine

"He [Foster] played very well, he's a top goalkeeper he was called upon more today than he was in any other game that we have had this season and he proved why is so highly-rated." 

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