Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool defender Joel Matip has named Chelsea striker Diego Costa as his toughest opponent this season.
Matip made the move to Anfield this summer after agreeing to a free transfer from Schalke earlier in the year.
He has since impressed in the heart of the Reds defence, firmly establishing himself as a key player in Jurgen Klopp’s team.
His time in the team has seen him come up against some of the Premier League’s best strikers, including the likes of Harry Kane and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
It is, however, Chelsea’s Diego Costa who the central defender names as his toughest opponent so far.
“There are a lot of tough players in this league, he didn’t play well against us, but Costa is a great player,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
It is not surprising to see Matip name Costa as his toughest opponent this season given the form the Spaniard has enjoyed so far.
He currently tops the Premier League goalscoring charts, with ten goals in 12 Premier League games so far.
That form has helped Chelsea to the top of the table, a point ahead of Matip’s Liverpool team who sit second.
If he continues the high level he has managed for the remainder of the campaign, the Reds centre-back is not likely to be the only one naming him as their toughest opponent.
Costa is enjoying life at Chelsea once again and has rediscovered his best form under the Italian – topping the Premier League scoring charts. He has also won back his place in the Spain squad and is finally scoring goals for his adopted nation.
There is one more good news for the Blues as the in-form striker is prepared to hand Chelsea a huge boost and sign new contract with the club which further indicates the remarkable turnaround under new boss Antonio Conte.
Costa was open to a move away from Stamford Bridge at the end of last season, before Conte persuaded him to give a chance to change his mind. In just four months, Conte has convinced Costa that he doesn’t need to return to Spain to be happy.
Having joined from Atletico Madrid in 2014, Costa was handed a contract worth £150,000 a week and could earn much closer to £200,000 a week by extending his deal.