Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has said that the club sent a "strong message" to Tottenham Hotspur by getting the better of Bournemouth on Saturday evening.

Hours after Spurs had thrashed Watford to close the gap on leaders Chelsea to four points, the Blues claimed a 3-1 victory on the south coast to strengthen their bid for the league title.

Alonso netted the third goal during the fixture at the Vitality Stadium, and the Spaniard has insisted that he and his teammates must focus on their own results, rather than concerning themselves with Spurs' excellent form.

The 26-year-old is quoted by the Evening Standard as saying: "Every game we win is a strong message for the other teams. We've been there almost all season, we are showing we want to be there, we're playing very good and fighting for it and that's what we need keep doing.

"We knew the Tottenham score before the game so we knew we could only win, we knew it was going to be a tough game, but I think the team played a good 90 minutes and we got the three points.

"Someone said in the changing room [beforehand] that we know the most important thing is our result, that's what we have to focus on, especially in training during the week to be ready for the game."

Chelsea are next in action when they travel to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on Easter Sunday.