Diego Costa WILL be stopped by Manchester City, says David Silva

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been in blistering form
The Spain international already has seven Premier League goals
But David Silva believes Manchester City can stop the phenomenon

David Silva has backed Manchester City to stop Chelsea’s £32million goal machine Diego Costa in his tracks.

The two title favourites clash at the Etihad on Sunday when City playmaker Silva will come up against his Spain teammates Costa and Cesc Fabregas.

Costa has scored seven goals in four Premier League games since joining Chelsea from Atletico Madrid, but Silva is confident that that champions can become the first team to shut him out in the league.

David Silva has backed Manchester City to stop Chelsea’s £32million goal machine Diego Costa in his tracks

Costa scored a hat-trick against Swansea City last weekend and is already on seven goals in a blue shirt

David Silva on Chelsea, their Spanish players and title race

‘Diego has made a huge impact,’ he said. ‘It is not easy to adapt but he has clearly done it very quickly.

‘He’s scored seven times so far so that record speaks for itself. That’s very important for Chelsea but not that good for us. But we’ve got a good defence and I believe we can stop him on Sunday.

‘I have a very good relationship with both players. I think Chelsea have made some fantastic signings this summer but our friendship will be set aside because we are going out to win.

‘I’ve known Cesc since we were 16-years-old and were in the Spanish youth squads together.

‘I’m looking forward to facing him but in pretty much every game now I seem to be up against a Spanish teammate – when we play Arsenal it’s Santi (Cazorla) or when it’s United it will be Juan Mata.

‘But it’s really all about how the team plays, and our aim as always is to go out and win the game.’

Costa’s impact has seen Chelsea set the early-season pace and they can move eight points ahead of City if they win tomorrow.

Silva was talking at an event to raise awareness about Pallister Killian Syndrome (PKS)

Costa should be back in the Chelsea starting XI when the teams face each other on Sunday

Manuel Pellegrini: I am not surprised about Diego Costa

Silva added: ‘We need to win because otherwise the gap would be getting too big between the clubs.’

Meanwhile, City boss Manuel Pellegrini believes the death of Yaya Toure’s younger brother Ibrahim could be behind his loss of form after the Ivory Coast midfielder was widely criticised following the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in midweek.

It followed a turbulent summer in which Toure accused the club of not giving him compassionate leave to see his 28-year-old brother who died of cancer in June.

‘Maybe some of you think it’s strange why he is not in the best moment,’ said Pellegrini. ‘But we started the season and maybe he had a lot of personal problems with his brother – not what was said in the media, but in what he feels about it.

‘There are a lot of human things and maybe that is why he is not in his best performance at the moment. I think as a team, as a coach, as a club we must support him because he is a very important player and makes a difference.

‘But he is always being criticised. It is very easy to say he should score 20 goals but must also defend and have better pace, but I don’t think Yaya has any problem. I’m sure he will return to his best.’

Pellegrini added that new £32m centre-back Eliaquim Mangala has not made his debut yet because ‘he needs some time to understand the way we defend’.

David Silva was speaking as an ambassador for Anfi, a luxury holiday company based in Gran Canaria who are leading a campaign called ‘A new home for Bailey’. It aims to raise £45,000 so the family of Bailey Stewart, a two-year-old boy with a rare condition that affects only five people in the UK, can adapt their home to meet his special needs.