Former Chelsea player Pat Nevin has criticised Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista for kicking out at Diego Costa during Saturday's Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian was sent off by referee Mike Dean during Chelsea's 2-0 triumph, while Costa has since been charged with violent conduct.

During the game, Costa avoided getting sent off, despite whacking Laurent Koscielny in the face with a swinging arm, but is now likely to face retrospective punishment.

In his column on Chelsea's official website, Nevin wrote: "We were certainly on top when Gabriel thought that no-one could see him flicking out at Diego. Why would he think that anyway?

"They had just had an altercation, almost everyone in the entire crowd was still looking at him, the cameras were all on a close-up (too close as it turns out, they should have been on a wide shot to see what his foot was doing) and rather importantly the referee was standing just five yards away staring straight at them. I mean 10/10 for bravery in taking on Diego, but minus several million for not-good thinking."

The club have until 6pm this evening to respond to Costa's charge, while Arsenal have already appealed against Gabriel's dismissal.