Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross says Chelsea's Diego Costa is not as "nasty" as some strikers he has played against in the Championship.
Shawcross kept Costa from scoring in Stoke's 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, though at one point he had his face grabbed by the Spain international.
But Shawcross said their battle distracted Costa, who has already been banned for three matches following a clash with Arsenal defenders this season.
"I played in the Championship and there's a lot nastier people in the Championship and tougher people," Shawcross said at a fan forum on Wednesday. "Once you've got Costa concentrating on you rather than the game you've won the battle.
"I was pleased he was concentrating on me and just delighted to keep him quiet because he's a fantastic player."
Stoke's victory was their second over Chelsea in two weeks after also beating them on penalties in the Capital One Cup in October.
And Shawcross says Stoke is looking toward a bright future while sitting 12th in the Premier League table.
"We are leaving internationals out of the starting XI now, that shows how far we've come," he said. "Signing [Xherdan] Shaqiri took us to another level and shows how we are regarded in European football."