Sam Allardyce has implored his West Ham United defenders not to make Diego Costa angry on Wednesday night.
The Hammers host Premier League leaders Chelsea at Upton Park and manager Allardyce believes it would be a clever move to leave Spain international Costa alone as setting him off usually makes him perform better.
"We're not to get involved with him, our central defenders are not to get involved with how he might upset them," Allardyce said of Costa who has 17 league goals this season.
"People say he's an old-fashioned centre forward because he seems to get motivated by the physical and niggly aspect of it so we're not to get involved in that.
"I don't think it winds him up - it winds him up to make him better which is a silly thing to do.
"He winds defenders up too, he'll do a bit of digging and niggling himself which is all part of how good he is.
"He's one of many we need to shackle down and if we are to keep him quiet we need to limit the service that is given to him."
