Wednesday 3 December 2014 18:59, UK
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is not taking Diego Costa’s absence from Wednesday’s clash with Chelsea for granted.
Costa picked up a fifth yellow card of the season in the goalless draw with Sunderland on Saturday – an automatic one-match ban.
Pochettino, whose Spurs side won only their third home Premier League game of the season on Sunday, insists their London rivals' other strikers could prove just as dangerous.
If they don’t play Diego Costa they can play Didier Drogba or Loic Remy. They are top players too.
“Costa is a very good player – I know him from Spain,” the Argentine said.
“But if they don’t play Costa they can play Didier Drogba or Loic Remy. These are different players, with different characteristics – but they are top players too.
“Chelsea are the best team in the Premier League at the moment, with an unbelievable squad. In the last 14 home games they’ve kept 11 clean sheets.
"But it’s exciting to go and play there, in a difficult stadium, and try to get three points.”
Tottenham have not won at the Bridge since 1990 and were thrashed 4-0 there last season – a result which led to heavy criticism from then boss Tim Sherwood.
His successor is unconcerned by Spurs' record in SW6 and Pochettino believes his side have a chance if they keep the same mentality that beat Everton last time out.
“This record will not affect us; I’m not reading anything into it,” he said.
“For us it’s important to go with the same mentality that we showed against Everton and forget the past – we don’t let the past affect our present.”
