Cesar Azpilicueta admits Filipe Luis must find it hard to spend so much time on the bench at Chelsea this season but believes the team has been improved by the addition of the Brazilian.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho signed Luis from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid for a fee of around £16million last summer and also raided the club for star striker Diego Costa.

Luis has gone from playing in title deciders and Champions League finals to providing cover at left-back for the naturally right-footed Azpilicueta at Stamford Bridge.

The trend continued at the weekend as Luis was among the substitutes as Chelsea recorded a 2-1 victory over Stoke City and tightened their grip on the Premier League crown.

Azpilicueta told Sky: "If you ask every player in every team, they are going to say they want to play and when you do not play, obviously you are not as happy as when you do play.

Champions League appearance: Chelsea's Felipe Luis in action with Maribor's Agim Ibraimi

"This is football, everyone wants to play and fight and after, I think the team is better and this is the most important thing.

“When I watch a game, I am more focused on the players playing in my position because sometimes you see that I can do better and I try to learn.

"I have to go out on the pitch and give everything, to try to fight for every ball, to play and be useful for the team.

“And obviously when I finish the game and I feel I have given everything and we win, I am happy.

"There are individual battles in the game that you have to win.”

Manchester City’s 2-1 reverse at Crystal Palace last night leaves Arsenal as Chelsea’s nearest challengers for the crown.

The Gunners are seven points off the top of the table and the Blues even have a game in hand.