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To many football fans, and plenty of opposing players, Chelsea striker Diego Costa may come across as the angry man you dont want to get on the wrong side of. Fake Angels Jerseys . Yet according to his team-mate Willian, the striker is completely different off the pitch to the player we have seen snarling at almost anyone who crosses his path on a football pitch. Costa is expected to wear a mask when Chelsea host Newcastle on Saturday Night Football, live on Sky Sports, after breaking his nose in training on Thursday, and ahead of the game Willian insisted we dont know the real Diego. Willian (L) describes team-mate Diego Costa as the practical joker behind the scenes at Chelsea Hes a very nice guy Willian explained this week. He is the opposite of what you see on the pitch. There is one Diego that you see on the pitch and another on the outside. He jokes a lot with us, he doesnt stop smiling for a second. Hes a practical joker. Hes got me, John Terry, the staff, everyone.The image of Costa as a happy-go-lucky fun-seeker is one which may be hard to get your head around, but there can be no denying he is back to somewhere near his best form in front of goal. Costa has scored seven times in the 10 matches since Jose Mourinho departed the club, and has seemingly won back the support of Chelsea fans who booed him in the aftermath of Mourinhos departure. Willian believes when hes scoring at such a rate, he should be considered one of the games elite strikers, alongside the likes of Sergio Aguero and Robert Lewandowski.Yes, for sure. I think he can stay at that level. We know Diego can improve even more. Now hes helping the team a lot, scoring goals, fighting with defenders, his movement, everything he does on the pitch - he has to continue in the same way. Willian celebrates with Diego Costa during a Champions League clash earlier in the seasn Costas current goal scoring form is reminiscent of the run Willian himself experienced in the autumn, when he scored in four consecutive games for Chelsea. Among those goals was an 86th-minute free-kick equaliser against Newcastle in the 2-2 draw at St James Park.Willian became known as free-kick specialist at that point in the season having also scored a dramatic set-piece winner against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League. He admits to working on his technique every week in training, and says he studied not only a Brazilian legend when he was younger, but also an English football icon too.I watched some players when I was young he told Sky Sports News HQ. I watched Ronaldinho, David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo. There were many players that I watched. I looked at videos of those players, and learned about how they shoot, and how they watched the goalkeeper. I practice here in training a lot. Not every day, but maybe three times a week I take six or seven balls and practice my free kicks. Costa has scored seven goals in his last 10 games Asked what advice he would offer young footballers working on their own free-kick technique, he says the mental preparation is just as important as where and how you kick the ball.  You have to concentrate before you take the free kick. The most important thing is that even if you are crossing the ball, you have to get it on target. Sometimes a free kick can decide a game, like it did for me against Dynamo Kiev. We won this game 2-1, and I hope I can score more goals like that this season.Willian has been one of Chelseas key players this season, and arguably the main contender for the clubs player of the year award. He has played in 34 of their 36 games so far, starting 31, the most appearances by any Chelsea player this season. Willian has been one of Chelseas best performers this season He has started the last 18 Premier League games, his longest run of league starts for the club. With eight goals, only Costa has scored more for the club this season - all three of his Premier League goals have come from outside the box. Willian has created a Premier League high 54 chances for the club this season, and nobody at the club has more League assists.The Brazilian says its painful to watch the title race being played out in this campaign without Chelseas involvement, but predicts they will be back in the race for first place next season.Of course (its painful). We look at the top and we dont see Chelsea. I think we have to continue to win more games, there are lots of important games coming and we have to keep preparing for these.Its difficult. We know that [we arent fighting for the title] but we have to continue to play. The motivation has to be that we stay focused all the time, because we want to win more games. We are too far away to win the title but we have to keep playing until the end of the season.For me there is no doubt well be back next season. We have great players in this squad and next season we have to start well, and I hope we can do that. Well be back. Alexandre Pato can bring a lot to the Chelsea front line, says compatriot Willian For now, Chelsea are focused on finishing as high as possible in the Premier League, while also preparing for their Champions League last 16 ties against PSG and the FA Cup clash with Manchester City.The European match could come too soon for Willians fellow Brazilian Alexandre Pato to make his Chelsea debut, although the FA Cup game could see the on-loan forward introduced to the first team.I think he can bring a lot of things for us. Hes quick, he has good technique, and he scores goals. Hes a very good player. He can help us a lot. I think hes hungry to show the world what he can do. That is why he came to Chelsea, he added.He wants to improve, and be a champion here. He knows that he had so much pressure on him in Brazil, but he has to stay calm and he can play better here in England, he can win titles here. Also See: Costa breaks nose in training Sky Live: Chelsea v Newcastle Oscar happy at Chelsea Zola: Qatar good fit for Terry Wholesale Angels Jerseys .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Los Angeles Angels Pro Shop . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. https://www.cheapangels.com/ . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. ATLANTA -- Dwight Howard was everything the Hawks were hoping for in his hometown debut.Tim Hardaway Jr. in a starring role?That was a major surprise.Hardaway scored 21 points and ignited a fourth-quarter outburst that carried new-look Atlanta to a 114-99 victory over the Washington Wizards in the season opener Thursday night.Howard, who returned to the city where he grew up in the Hawks biggest offseason move, did nothing to disappoint. He grabbed 19 rebounds -- more than anyone had for Atlanta all of last season -- and was a huge presence at the defensive end, disrupting shots and giving his teammates the freedom to be more aggressive on the perimeter.The worst thing you can do is lay an egg in the first game, said Howard, who also had 11 points and three blocks. I think all of us were a little nervous in the first half because we want to do so well. We really want put on for this city. ... Once we kind of settled in, kind of got our feet wet, we took it to another level.Paul Millsap, for one, didnt have to spend so much time banging on the boards. He took advantage at the offensive end, leading the Hawks with 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting.But Hardaway was the one who really came up big, which was totally unexpected given that he was largely confined to the bench and even spent time in the D-League during his first season with the Hawks.Its definitely a new page, a new start, Hardaway said. But (last season) will always be the intro to me in Atlanta. That will always be in the back of my head, how they pushed me, how they got me prepared to get to this point in my career.Hardaway scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers that helped Atlanta pull away, and wound up matching his best showing in a Hawks uniform. Thabo Sefolosha was another key contributor off the bench, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter.The Hawks, who led only 81-80 heading to the final period, outscored the Wizards 33-19 over the final 12 minutes.Markieff Morris led Washington with 22 points, but it was a tough night for the Wizards dynamic backcourt duo. John Wall finished with only 12 pointts on 3-of-15 shooting, while Bradley Beal was held to 13 in the debut for new Washington coach Scott Brooks. Los Angeles Angels Shirts. .We got a lot of good looks. Some went down, some didnt, Beal said. But at the end of the day, we cant control our offense. We can control our defense and our effort. We just gave up the last quarter and a half.TIP INSWizards: Marcin Gortat had 11 rebounds but didnt have much help. Washington was outrebounded 52-40. ... Otto Porter was the only other Washington player in double figures with 10 points. ... The Wizards locked arms during the national anthem.Hawks: Howard posted the most rebounds for anyone in their Atlanta debut, breaking the mark of 18 that Shareef Abdur-Rahim set at Houston on Oct. 30, 2001. ... Dennis Schroder, taking over as the starting point guard after the trade of Jeff Teague, had 14 points but only two assists.BROOKS RETURNSAfter deciding not to pursue a coaching job last season, Brooks was back on an NBA sideline with the Wizards.He spent six-plus seasons guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder before he was fired in 2015 after the team failed to make the playoffs.TEMPERS FLAREAtlantas Kent Bazemore was called for a flagrant foul early in the third quarter when he got underneath Wall as the Washington star went in for a breakaway dunk, sending him tumbling to the court.Wall hopped up, looking to go after Bazemore, but several players stepped in before something more serious could develop.Bazemore said he didnt mean to make contact with Wall.I dont play the game that way, Bazemore said. It was just an unfortunate play. We hugged and made up after that.UP NEXTWizards: Play at Memphis on Sunday, facing a Grizzlies team that began the season with a 102-98 victory over Minnesota.Hawks: Travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the 76ers, who went 10-72 last season and opened with a loss to Oklahoma City.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . ' ' '