Chelsea striker Diego Costa the first player to ten Premier League goals in 2016-17, after Jamie Vardy managed it first last year
No player in the English top flight has been involved in more goals than Costa this year, after also providing three assists
DIEGO COSTA netted the first goal of the game for Chelsea against Middlesbrough to put his side top of the Premier League.
Not only that, the Spaniard, 28, netted his tenth strike in the league this season - the first player to reach double figures in 2016-17.
Costa follows in the footsteps of Jamie Vardy, whose scintillating start saw him race to ten goals in just ten games 12 months ago.
Keep up to date with ALL the Chelsea news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary.
The Leicester man netted 24 goals overall that season as Claudio Ranieri's Foxes secured an astounding Premier League title win.
Could that bode well for Antonio Conte's Blues this season?
Costa's form has been so good - after using superb striking instinct to finish off a scrappy move at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday - that no player has been involved in more goals than him this season.
As well as his ten goals, the 14-cap Spain international has dished out three assists.
Incredibly, his form appears to be even hotter on the road than it is at Stamford Bridge.
RELATED STORIES
Of Costa's ten goals, he has scored seven - in the last seven games, at that - away from west London.
To go with his Boro strike, the Spaniard netted on the opening day against West Ham, as well as the following week against Chelsea.
He ten netted both goals in a 2-2 draw with Swansea before adding another in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.
A goal against Hull was joined by strikes against Leicester, Southampton and Everton to reach the magic ten mark.
Chelsea next go up against Tottenham, before a trip to Manchester City a week later as their mettle will be well and truly put to the test.