Diego Costa owes Gareth Barry a pint, a bouquet of flowers and possibly a box of chocolates.
The Chelsea striker was faced with the possibility of a lengthy ban after appearing to bite the Everton midfielder in Saturday’s FA Cup clash, but Barry has now dismissed the incident.
Posting on the Fanzai App, the 35-year-old said: “For the record Diego did not bite me.”
Barry’s statement backs up Chelsea’s assertion on Saturday evening that, while video evidence looked damning, Costa didn’t actually sink his teeth into his opponent’s neck.
The FA may still intend to investigate the incident, but the outcome now looks a lot rosier for Costa.