Speaking to The Mirror, West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna has said that the Claret and Blues know all about how to stop Chelsea striker Diego Costa ahead of their EFL Cup tie.
The two London clubs face off at the London Stadium later this week in the fourth-round of the newly named competition with both coming off the back of respective wins at the weekend.
The Hammers eventually overcame Sunderland at home through Winston Reid’s last-gasp effort whilst Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
Spanish striker Costa did not score in that game before being subbed in the second half but the Italian Ogbonna is aware of the threat he can pose, and says he and his team-mates know how to deal with him:
“We know Costa. Every time we play him we have to be careful. Sometimes if we do something as defenders, it’s bigger than it is if a striker does it. A striker can do whatever he wants. A defender has to be careful, maybe clever. This is the game. I think whoever is more clever can win. We’ve played him already. Everybody knows Costa. He has a high behaviour. On the pitch he tries to make something to change the game.”
The former Atletico Madrid man has picked up a number of yellow cards for different reasons during his Premier League stay and has scored seven goals in the division this year, more than any other player.
