STOKE -- Antonio Conte praised Diego Costa's "great discipline" in the face of physical Stoke City defending after Chelsea battled to a 2-1 win that extends their lead at the top of the Premier League to 13 points.
An 87th-minute strike from Gary Cahill settled a heated match in favour of Chelsea after Jonathan Walters had cancelled out Willian's first-half free kick from the penalty spot, but a prominent subplot was the running battle that raged between Costa and numerous Stoke defenders.
The Spain international was booked on 17 minutes for dissent after one tussle that left him on the floor, but improved in the second half and even struck the post as Chelsea threatened to extend their lead in the final minutes.