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Mar 18, 2017 at 3pm UK
 
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Mark Hughes: 'Stoke City did not target Diego Costa'

:Headline: Mark Hughes: 'Stoke City did not target Diego Costa': ID:294094: from db_amp
Stoke manager Mark Hughes claims that Chelsea striker Diego Costa tried to antagonise his defenders rather than the other way round during their 2-1 defeat to the Blues.

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has denied that his players deliberately tried to antagonise Diego Costa during today's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the bet365 Stadium.

A number of Stoke's defenders - most notably Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi - had run-ins with the Spain international, whose temperament has been called into question during his Chelsea career.

Costa picked up an early yellow card for dissent but was otherwise able to keep a lid on his emotions, although Hughes argued that it was the striker who targeted the defenders rather than the other way around.

"We didn't target him, more likely he targeted our players. I played in that position many years and I look at his qualities as a striker, he's an outstanding striker, but on occasions he's got elements of his play that he doesn't really need to have," he told reporters.

"You can still have an edge, an element where you can look after yourself, but you don't have to have the rest.

"I think it takes away from his performance and his image as a player, it's not necessary. Maybe that's how he generates his feeling in the game and when he's able to produce his best work. I think it detracts from what a good player he is."

Stoke's defeat leaves them still ninth in the Premier League table, but now seven points adrift of the top eight.

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1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154
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