LONDON (THE GUARDIAN) - Diego Costa "cheats" to put opponents off their game, his Chelsea team-mate Kurt Zouma has said.

Costa's behaviour has been scrutinised again after the 2-0 victory over Arsenal . He has been accused of getting Gabriel Paulista sent off and is waiting to discover whether he will face retrospective action from the Football Association over an incident where he made contact with the face of Laurent Koscielny.

Zouma used the word "cheat" when referring to Costa in a television interview, though the 20-year-old French defender appeared to mean it in the sense the forward indulges in gamesmanship.

"Everybody knows Diego," he told beIN Sports after the Arsenal match.

"This guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponent out of his game. That happened in the game but he's a real nice guy and we are very proud to have him."

Arsenal are to ask the FA to reduce Gabriel's three-match ban .