Batshuayi strike wins Chelsea Premier League title

Antonio Conte

Chelsea have won the Premier League title after defeating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 at the Hawthorns.

A late goal from substitute Michy Batshuayi   gave the Blues three points, which mean they hold an unassailable 10-point advantage over Tottenham.

It is the sixth time that the Stamford Bridge side have won England’s top flight and the fourth time since 2004-05 that they have claimed the Premier League title.

Their campaign has been one of virtual unabated excellence since a sticky period in September, when they lost successive matches against Liverpool and Arsenal saw them drop as far as eighth.

Manager Antonio Conte, who arrived in the summer to guide the team after a disappointing 2015-16 season, thereafter altered his side to play with three at the back, and that proved the catalyst for a 13-match winning streak that proved to be the decisive run as they claimed the crown.

Conte’s transformation of Chelsea from fallen champions to Premier League title winners inside 12 months was completed with victory at West Bromwich Albion – a remarkable success story in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

The 47-year-old inherited a squad that had declined from domestic superpower to mid-table mediocrity amid acrimony and the sacking of title-winning manager Jose Mourinho. But he has shown the personality, tactical brilliance and sure touch to put them back at the top of the English game.

The Blues lost London derbies against Spurs and Crystal Palace, while they also went down against a Manchester United side led by Jose Mourinho, sacked 18 months earlier as they made a woeful start to their title defence.

Ironically, though, Conte’s men seemed to be aided by their lack of European football, as it left their squad free to focus on domestic matters as their chief rivals faltered.