The subtle moment that proves Cesar Azpilicueta should replace Gary Cahill as Chelsea captain

Cesar Azpilicueta is the leader Chelsea need, not Gary Cahill 
Chelsea are heading into a crucial time in their season and they need the top players in the team to stand up and be counted.

Antonio Conte is right when he says that his squad is too small to compete on all fronts and he needs to take some responsibility for that but that cannot be fixed before January rolls around.

In the meantime, the senior Chelsea players need to make their presence felt. As the Blues searched for a winner against Watford on Saturday, no one personified that battling spirit more than Cesar Azpilicueta.

In the pantheon of the Premier League's great bargain buys, Azpilicueta may be the best of all time. Arriving for just £7m in 2012, the Spaniard has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe and proven capable of covering any position across the defensive line.

On Saturday he proved once more why he, and not Gary Cahill, should be Chelsea's captain with John Terry moved on to Aston Villa.

The moment came as the Blues defended a Watford free kick in the 73rd minute of the game with the scores level at 2-2.

David Luiz, who was a doubt to start the game with a calf injury, goes down hurt and Azpiliceuta shows up to comfort him.

Once he has sufficiently comforted his teammate, Azpilicueta then focuses on the next step of getting Luiz back into the action.

Although Chelsea still have one substitution left at this stage of the game, the Spanish defender knows how important Luiz is to his team and pulls his teammate to his feet to prepare for the incoming free kick.

Then finally, as if to prove without all doubt that he is the true leader of the Blues' defence, Azpilicueta immediately gets his head back in the game and informs Gary Cahill that he is out of position.

That's right, Azpilicueta barks an order at Cahill and the Englishman immediately trusts that his teammate is right.

As if that wasn't enough, the 28-year-old popped up to score the goal that pushed Chelsea into the lead and earned them a much-needed three points.

No matter how much fans might want him to be, Cahill is not a true leader. Azpilicueta should be given the armband if the Blues are to retain their title this season.