It was 'fantastic' to keep Diego Costa quiet! Ryan Shawcross reacts to Stoke City's win over Chelsea

Confrontation: Ryan Shawcross (far right) enjoyed winning his battle with Diego Costa (centre)
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Vaishali Bhardwaj7 November 2015

Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross admitted it was "fantastic" to keep Diego Costa quiet during the Potters' win over Chelsea on Saturday and said the striker was the kind of player who looked to "bully" opposing players.

Shawcross put in a strong performance to keep a leash on Costa, who has struggled for form this term, at the Britannia Stadium despite the pair having several confrontations during the Premier League match.

Costa did have chances to score for Chelsea, but failed to convert those while Marko Arnautovic's superb second-half volley claimed all three points for Stoke to heap yet more misery on the champions, who have now suffered seven defeats in the league this season.

And, after their second win over Chelsea in the space of 11 days, Shawcross revealed the spirit in the Stoke team was brilliant.

"Diego Costa gets in your face, he wants to bully you so you have to stand up to him," he told Sky Sports.

Player Ratings: Stoke City vs Chelsea

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"He is a fantastic player who plays close to the line, so to keep him quiet is fantastic."

He added: "We have a fantastic spirit and a good team now. Look how many Champions League winners' medals we've got in the squad now."

Stoke boss Mark Hughes praised Shawcross after the game and insisted the defender matched Costa for physicality during the clash.

"Ryan Shawcross loves those challenges, You have to have physicality in the Premier League and you have to match strikers like Diego Costa," he said.

"Ryan showed his qualities, he continues to be overlooked at international level but I haven't seen many players who understand the role like he does."

The result leaves Chelsea in 16th place in the Premier League standings - just three points above the relegation zone - while Stoke moved up to 12th place with the win.

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