CHELSEA’S Spain forward Diego Costa was banned Tuesday for three matches for raising his hands to the face of Arsenal center-back Laurent Koscielny.

    Costa was found guilty of violent conduct during Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win over its London rival Saturday.

    The 26-year-old former Atletico Madrid striker had denied the Football Association (FA) charge over the incident, which had been missed by referee Mike Dean.

    “An FA charge against Diego Costa for violent conduct not seen by the match officials but caught on video has been found proven following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing,” said the FA in a statement.

    “The Chelsea forward will, therefore, serve the standard penalty of a three-match suspension with immediate effect.”

    In a statement, Chelsea said: “We are extremely disappointed with the FA Regulatory Commission’s decision to suspend Diego Costa. We will await their written reasons before commenting further.”(SD-Agencies)