Chelsea refute claims Diego Costa stamped on a match steward’s foot during Stoke defeat

Incident: Blues striker accused of assaulting a steward during defeat to Stoke City
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Andy Hampson7 November 2015

Chelsea have described as "utter nonsense" a claim from a Stoke steward that Diego Costa stamped on his foot.

Stoke have confirmed that a member of their security staff reported Costa to the match referee after an incident on the touchline during the Potters' victory over the Londoners at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

TV footage of the alleged incident shows Chelsea striker Costa going to retrieve the ball for a throw-in and then appearing to make contact with the steward with his foot.

A Chelsea spokesperson simply said: "Utter nonsense."

Player Ratings: Stoke City vs Chelsea

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The Blues suffered a third straight Premier League defeat as they were beaten 1-0 at the Britannia to heap the pressure back on their absent manager Jose Mourinho.

With Mourinho missing from the dugout due to his one-match stadium ban, his side were condemned to the seventh league reverse of their miserable season by Marko Arnautovic's 53rd-minute strike.

They came close to levelling when Pedro hit the post and for long spells saw more of the ball than their opponents.

Ultimately, though, they could not make the most of their chances as the fresh optimism brought about by Wednesday's Champions League win against Dynamo Kiev abruptly fizzled out with another loss to add to the Capital One Cup exit they suffered at the Britannia Stadium last week.

Chelsea are now 16th in the Premier League, just three points above the relegation zone.

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