Antonio Conte’s debut Chelsea season has been a “masterclass” – Jamie Carragher

Chelsea are seven points clear with seven games remaining in the Premier League, and Alonso admits he is struggling to pick a name out from his Chelsea team-mates for Player of the Season honors.

Antonio Conte insists he can’t smell the title just yet, despite Chelsea’s commanding win over Bournemouth.

Spurs edged to within four points of the Blues on Saturday afternoon, but Conte’s men defeated Bournemouth 3-1 to restore their seven-point advantage in the race for the Premier League title.

The Spain worldwide has never before gone four Premier League games without a goal, but Conte highlighted the overall contribution of the striker, who has 17 league goals to his name this season. “We know what we are playing for, motivation is 100% and I think we played a good game”. When you play after your opponent it’s normal if you see that the opponent is very close to you to feel a bit of pressure.

The 39-year-old admitted it was hard face a team in such good form, adding: “With the system they play, they do very well with it and they have angles and passing options all over the pitch”.

He said: “Yeah, I hit the post twice already”. I think Chelsea will carry on and get enough wins themselves.

Conte was more expansive in warning his players that they must overcome the emotion that will inevitably accompany a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday to face their former manager.

They went 2-0 up after 18 minutes through an Adam Smith own-goal and an Eden Hazard strike before conceding a goal to Bournemouth’s Joshua King. But our answer was very good.

“The team deserve full credit because the energy and the way they played was fantastic”.

However, Chelsea were cruising in the closing stages of the second half and continued to push for more goals, however they struggled to carve out chances. “We have seven games to play and we are ready for the seven games”.

“To have a great season, to write history, you must win”, said Conte.

That’s because Tottenham are on a six-game winning streak and look unlikely to give up the fight until the title is mathematically out of reach.

The 26-year-old’s superlative form propelled Chelsea home, with Costa’s goal drought stretching to four league matches. Our schedule is not easy. “We’ve been there nearly all season, we’re showing we want to be there, we’re playing very well and fighting for it and that’s what we need keep doing”.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told the BBC: “I have to compliment Chelsea, they’re an outstanding team and their system works very well for them”.

“You have teams that you know before the game that you can score, or that it’s your team”, said Hazard.