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Embattled Costa scores on return as Chelsea tops Hull City

Eddie Keogh / Reuters

Diego Costa's exile didn't last long. Good thing for Chelsea, too.

The alienated forward was back in the starting lineup for Sunday's match against Hull City, just over a week after a reported training-ground bust-up threatened to derail his career with the west London outfit.

Incidentally, the appearance was also Costa's 100th for the club, lending a bit more levity to a situation that proved an unnecessary distraction for the Premier League leader.

Naturally, he opened the scoring Sunday, finding the net late in the first half by turning home a cross from Victor Moses; it was his 15th goal of the campaign, which sees him equal Arsenal stud Alexis Sanchez for top spot in the division.

The Blues went on to win the match 2-0, extending their lead atop the Premier League table to eight points over Arsenal.

Chelsea managed just as well without the Spain international last week against Leicester City, a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the Foxes coming as much-needed relief.

A back injury was the official reason why Costa missed the match, although various reports in the British press indicated he and fitness coach Julio Tous quarrelled over the extent of the problem.

Other accounts suggested a potential move to Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian had unsettled the striker, who reportedly stood to make £30 million a year had he pushed for a transfer.

Manager Antonio Conte seemed to side with his coaching staff throughout the dispute. Costa trained on his own before rejoining the rest of the squad earlier this week.

"The player wants to stay at Chelsea, he is very happy to play with us. I don't see any problem," Conte told reporters on Friday. "I heard a lot of speculation about Diego, but the most important thing is that he has trained with us and he is available."

A summer exit is still a possibility, even if the Chinese government goes through with plans to limit the number of foreign players a Chinese Super League club can field at any given time. Atletico Madrid could also revive interest in its former player, according to the Guardian's Dominic Fifield.

Prior to the alleged tussle, Costa had been on his best behaviour. The 28-year-old went 11 league matches between September and December without getting a single booking - proof he bought into Conte's no-nonsense approach.

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