Chelsea right-back Reece James has said the club's new signings are having a positive impact on the squad.
The 20-year-old was speaking after Chelsea's 3-1 win over Brighton on Monday, in which he scored his first Premier League goal with a rasping long-range strike.
The Blues have brought in six players so far this summer, with Kai Havertz and Timo Werner both facing the Seagulls, and James believes the competition is helping improve his teammates.
"We knew it was going to be tough coming here and we knew we would have to put in everything to get the three points and I think we did that. We had to push up a gear.
"As the games go on we are only to get stronger. There are new players in the team so we have to gel and get stronger week by week.
"When you bring in high level players it brings the competition up and makes everyone work harder to get into the team."
