Media playback is not supported on this device Full-time scenes as Chelsea seal title

Antonio 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.

So how has the charismatic Italian achieved what many inside Stamford Bridge regard as a miraculous rejuvenation of fortunes to return the Premier League crown to Chelsea?

Conte sows seeds of change

Media playback is not supported on this device Chelsea found right way to be stronger - Conte

The scene is a side room in an Austrian hotel on 16 July 2016.

Chelsea's players are coming down from their rooms for a pre-match meal before a friendly against Rapid Vienna, as the Conte reign officially gets under way.

In the past, tables would have been laden with chicken, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, scrambled egg and salad - this time Chelsea's squad set eyes on a selection of seeds, nuts and dried fruit.

Some players, bemused, turn on their heels and leave, assuming they have wandered into the wrong room rather than a new era. They soon return.

Conte, as he has done since day one at Stamford Bridge, outlines in detail and from personal experience why this is happening. He explains how long some food might take to digest, running the risk of players perhaps carrying an extra half a kilo into games.

The message was swiftly embraced as players felt fitter, healthier and better equipped for the season ahead.

As Chelsea decamped to Los Angeles to continue preparations for the new season, Conte's trademark attention to detail was becoming even more obvious, as the Italian put on tough double sessions, sometimes in 30-degree heat.

He proved a hard tactical taskmaster, as opposed to running players into the ground. Conte loves the role of head coach rather than manager.

Unlike Mourinho, it was Conte who put out the cones - measuring exact distances - and the emphasis was on drill after drill. It was repetition until Chelsea's players knew exactly what was expected, even using shadow sessions of 11 players against none.

Video analysis was, and continues to be, exhaustive as Conte goes through every aspect of Chelsea's training, preparation and games in minute, meticulous detail.

Some days Conte was left frustrated that the message was not quite getting across, but on others the signs were there that any initial reservations his players had, inevitable when a new manager arrives, were disappearing.

The foundations and building blocks were being put in place for a season of Premier League title-winning success.

Healing the wounds of Mourinho's departure

Media playback is not supported on this device Jose Mourinho: How it went wrong at Chelsea

When Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo spoke of "palpable discord between manager and players" following the sacking of Mourinho just seven months after winning the title, it underlined the scale of the task that would await his full-time successor.

The trusted Guus Hiddink returned for a second spell in interim charge as a sticking plaster over the wounds, but at season's end a squad used to success looked broken and lacking in unity as it finished in 10th place.

Conte was seen by Chelsea's decision-makers - Emenalo, highly influential director Marina Granovskaia and, of course, owner Roman Abramovich - as a man with a pedigree of success - having won three Scudetto in Italy with Juventus - and the personality to organise and galvanise.

It was an impression he confirmed when, after his appointment at Chelsea had been announced, he took what most regarded as an ordinary Italy team to the last eight of Euro 2016, losing on penalties to Germany after outstanding wins over Belgium and Spain.

Conte, even before Euro 2016, had taken time out from his Italy duties to visit Chelsea's Cobham training base to introduce himself to his future charges.

He arrived on one occasion while Hiddink was conducting a training session, but insisted on showing full respect to the veteran Dutch coach, waiting around a corner out of sight until he finished the final 30 minutes' work before introducing himself to the players.

Conte was assuming a role that the long list of his predecessors proves is highly demanding, but he has forged a close and productive working relationship with Chelsea's hierarchy.

He is in daily contact with Emenalo and speaks regularly to Granovskaia, who is in charge of transfers and heavily involved throughout the club, as well as with Abramovich when the opportunity and occasion arises, as when the Russian billionaire flew in to attend Chelsea's FA Youth Cup final win against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Abramovich may have many other demands on his time but still has a major input and involvement in every significant decision taken at the club.

Conte is sure to want to refresh and improve his title-winning squad for the added demands of Champions League football next season, so Chelsea's tried and trusted acquisition strategy will be at his full disposal.

Gone are the days when the likes of Andriy Shevchenko would arrived gift-wrapped (and in Mourinho's case unappreciated) for a manager.

The current system, with Emenalo's scouting network at its hub, involves the manager being presented with a list of long-term club targets, to which he can add his own and even set aside those names he does not require.

When Conte makes his moves at the end of the season, with Everton striker Romelu Lukaku heavily linked with a return, they will not be spur-of-the-moment transactions. He will have been a key figure in the drawing up of potential signings.

Conte has silenced the sound of palpable discord and it has been a harmonious Chelsea, on and off the pitch, that has secured a richly deserved Premier League title.

A tactically superior display against holders Spain saw Italy reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2016

Fostering the family atmosphere

Italy's over-achievement at Euro 2016 was compelling evidence of how close bonds within a camp can produce results beyond expectation.

It is something Conte has brought to Chelsea and placed at the heart of his approach and success.

Conte organised a pre-season barbecue for players, staff and families at Cobham. Marquees were erected and a five-a-side pitch set out for the children. It set the tone for the season, with striker Diego Costa spoiling his villainous public image by happily joining in with the youngsters for 40 minutes, during which he was even taken out by a tackle.

When pre-season got under way in Austria and LA, Chelsea's support staff were surprised to be singled out for warm handshakes and words every day from a manager intent on providing unity at a club that has had its share of instability, often actually generating renewed success, over the years.

At the staff Christmas party, the tradition is for the manager to record a message to be played at the event.

Conte duly obliged, but then asked if he could also attend the event for about 500 people at the Under The Bridge music venue at Stamford Bridge, staying for more than two hours, spending time mingling with guests and happily posing for pictures and selfies.

He spent a similar amount of time at a trampoline party organised for players' children around the festive period - while staff at Cobham also saw evidence of his personal touch last Christmas.

Conte ensured staff received wine and Prosecco, with every bottle personally addressed to the individual as thanks, and accompanied by a card with the words of Hannibal as he prepared to cross the Alps by elephant: "We shall either find a way or make one."

Conte's seasonal goodwill even extended to the media, with a group invited to a local pub and bought drinks after a pre-match news conference in the build-up to the Boxing Day game with Bournemouth.

The irony is the manager intent on developing the Chelsea "family" has had to cope for long spells without wife Elisabetta and nine-year-old daughter Vittoria, who have remained in Italy but will soon join him in London.

Every month, players and staff will go out together for a meal - but Chelsea's players also know when to keep their distance.

Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin witnessed a moment that underlined how Conte, while always available to any player, is not to be trifled with.

He told BBC Sport: "The fun guys at the training ground, the daft ones, David Luiz and Diego Costa, are always having a laugh.

"Costa was sneaking up behind people and throwing big buckets of iced water over them. He was running up behind Antonio and he was going to do the ice bucket over the top and, even though you know Antonio is a good laugh and he was having a joke, he got all the way up then chickened out.

"The players kind of think you're one of them but they're not quite sure. As a manager you've nailed it then - and Conte has nailed it."

Media playback is not supported on this device Conte interrupts news conference to eat journalist's cake

Nevin added: "I have also spent a couple of hours with him and interviewed him. We spoke before, just chatting, but he is the classic mix in that he can be great fun but then you see the steely eyes and think you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him.

"You judge a manager by whether he gets the most out of his players. If you are managing a company, a newspaper, a shop or a football team, your job is to get the best out of your staff. He has done that."

Conte's success has meant the potentially thorny issue of captain John Terry's absence from the team and subsequent departure has become an amicable and dignified parting - while a reported training-ground row with Costa in January was handled with the striker left out of the 3-0 win at Leicester City before returning with a goal as Hull City were beaten 2-0.

He is close to his players but also prepared to draw the line. As the card in the Christmas present promised, he has found his way at Chelsea.

Conte's obsession with success

Conte's attention to detail and determination to create the perfect environment at Cobham has produced what he wants most in football - success.

Italian journalist Stefano Boldrini, London correspondent for Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport, told BBC Sport: "Conte is a person who lives football every hour, every minute of the day.

"Conte thinks about football 48 hours a day.

"He is always focused on his work, not only on the training ground or in his office. When he is at his house in Chelsea he watches football, speaks with his staff. His mind is always on his work.

"It was the same in Italy but this is a new experience. He has had to fight against Jose Mourinho's Manchester United, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Arsenal of Arsene Wenger, Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

"He likes the sea and he likes good restaurants but his life is about good football. He is enjoying life in England but Conte does not go into London a lot. His life is Cobham and his house. He is very focused on his work.

"He is a very reserved person. For him it was not easy because in one year he has had to learn English, to learn about English football. I don't know about the future but he is really focused on his work now."

Conte's affection for aspects of English football was demonstrated when he applauded the Middlesbrough fans who continued to support their team even though they were relegated with defeat at Chelsea.

Boldrini says: "I know he is a passionate man but it was fantastic when he went to the Middlesbrough fans to applaud them. It was class behaviour and this is Antonio Conte.

"He loves England. He was celebrating the civilisation of English football with what happened with the Boro fans. It was honest."

The idea of Conte as a reserved figure is at odds with the manic touchline celebrations that saw him swinging from a dugout after Gary Cahill's later winner at Stoke City, and ripping an expensive pair of trousers and injuring his leg in one outpouring of joy earlier this season.

Conte, it is believed, finds it awkward to watch those moments back, but it is an insight into the pleasure Chelsea's progress under his tutelage has brought him.

Conte's tactical triumph

Media playback is not supported on this device Archive: Everybody loves N'Golo: Pundits purr over Kante

The transformation in Chelsea's season started to unfold in the corridors at Emirates Stadium after a humbling 3-0 loss to Arsenal on 24 September left Conte's side in eighth place, eight points behind leaders Manchester City.

Conte was emotional and downcast as he conducted post-match media duties, but he was cold enough to deliver the clearest of messages: "We must reflect a lot. From the first minute, we have had a bad attitude.

"We are now a great team only on paper not on the pitch. We must show we are a great team on the pitch not on paper."

The loss followed a home defeat by Liverpool in their previous league game that even had some bookmakers suggesting Conte might be an early winner of the managerial sack race.

There was no panic behind the scenes. The club's power-brokers had full faith in their manager and he justified their confidence with a tactical switch that turned Chelsea from a team with doubts about its top-six credentials into an all-conquering force en route to the title.

Chelsea already had future double player of the year N'Golo Kante as a brilliant midfield bedrock after his £30m move from Premier League champions Leicester City - but Conte pulled off a strategic coup that was even more audacious.

Conte reverted to a three-man central-defensive system for the subsequent 2-0 win at Hull City. It was the first of 13 successive league wins. Chelsea's quality had moved from paper to pitch.

New signing Marcos Alonso and the returning Luiz were key figures. Cesar Azpilicueta was part of the central triumvirate but Conte's finest moment may even have come in his reinvention of Victor Moses as a right wing-back of high calibre.

Moses had almost become an itinerant footballer, lost and unloved at Chelsea after being signed by Roberto di Matteo from Wigan Athletic for £9m in August 2012.

He arrived on the same day as Azpilicueta signed from Marseille - but their courses could not have been more different as the 26-year-old spent unspectacular loan spells at Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham United before Conte spotted something no-one else had uncovered.

Moses made 59 league appearances in those three loan seasons, scoring five goals, and had only made 23 appearances with 12 starts for Chelsea before this season, during which he has played 38 times.

Media playback is not supported on this device Nevin: Fabregas sums up Conte's success

Nevin said: "You see he is going 3-4-3 and you know who the wide man in the four is. It is Cesar Azpilicueta - only it isn't. It's Victor Moses.

"I love it and it impresses me so much when managers do things you don't expect. It is also about the player who plays alongside him.

"Moses was often alongside the manager, who was shouting and telling him almost inch by inch where to be, and he also has Azpilicueta beside him who is as good as there is in the business at closing down, getting close to people and not letting crosses in."

And for Boldrini, it is a prime example of Conte's acumen. He says: "He has been very important for Moses because he hadn't made an impact at Chelsea until Conte came.

"Conte discovered what Moses could do in pre-season and it was a success for Conte because he saw something other managers didn't see."

He added: "He speaks with every player. Conte has a very good relationship with Cesc Fabregas, who has not played all the time, and he also has a very good relationship with Diego Costa. He has spoken to him a lot of times about his behaviour, to be more focused on the game and not his opponent."

The tactical change was seen as Conte returning to old instincts, but Nevin disagrees: "Looking historically at what he'd done before to what he does now, he's not a 3-4-3 man. 100% not.

"That worked because he needed to try something else. I'd seen Juventus a lot. I think most people thought they were a 3-5-2, or a version of that, and sometimes a 3-4-3 as well.

"I looked because I wanted to prove to myself how often he played Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci together and quite often it was four at the back but very adaptable. If he needed it, he could utilise it.

"At heart he wants to play two centre-forwards but when Andrea Pirlo came in at Juve he couldn't play a 4-4-2. You can't do that with Fabregas either because you need two in there like Kante and Nemanja Matic, who can do all the dogged work as well.

"What has interested me is that when he changed to a 3-4-3, which I thought was really quite out there as I didn't see it coming, it worked. I then thought he would change that quite quickly - he didn't."

Nevin has an ominous warning for Chelsea's rivals, saying: "I actually think you have only seen 20% of his tactical nous. I think you have seen something that has scratched the surface so far."

Has his success surprised his countrymen in Italy?

"Maybe we didn't think he would win in his first year but we were sure he would be a success," says Boldrini. "We knew of his focus and passion and had faith.

"In Italy, the pressure is outside the pitch. In England, the pressure is on the pitch because you play against Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton, Liverpool - the pressure is the football and this is the pressure he enjoys and is the big difference between Italy and England."

What next for Conte and Chelsea?

Chelsea must cope with the added demands of the Champions League next season - and history shows this is not a club or an owner that enters Europe's elite competition to make up the numbers.

Conte has won the title with a relatively small squad. He has used 23 players this season so far, equal lowest with Liverpool, Spurs and West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea used 30 players when they won titles in 2004-05 and 2009-10, and 25 in 2005-06 and 2014-15.

Conte lost the likes of Branislav Ivanovic, Oscar and Jon Mikel Obi but their absences were compensated for.

There has already been speculation about departures this summer. Costa has been linked with a lucrative move to China, and there has been speculation surrounding the future of Fabregas after a season in which he has excelled when called upon but, at 30, could seek more regular football.

Lukaku's links with Chelsea, where he may feel he has unfinished business after being sold to Everton for £28m in 2014, continue, while Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata could be another attacking target. Chelsea will also be in the market for a central defender following Terry's departure, with names such as Southampton's Virgil van Dijk and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly on the radar.

If Fabregas leaves, Chelsea will surely be in the market for a midfielder, and Tiemoue Bakayoko's excellence as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-final has drawn attention from a host of Europe's top clubs.

The FA Youth Cup was won by Chelsea for a fourth successive season - and fifth time in six - by beating Manchester City, but it remains to be seen if any make the leap to serious senior duty.

Nevin is convinced it will be a busy summer for Chelsea, saying: "I think there is a lot to do. There is no way you will get into the latter reaches of the Champions League and the Premier League with the current squad unless some of the kids step up unbelievably and that's a massive jump, too big.

"Will you keep everybody that's here? Antonio's probably got his eye on four or five and if he gets them there is no reason why he will not continue to be successful."</s>Michy Batshuayi made 18 substitute appearances throughout the 2016-17 Premier League season, but none was more important than the one he made on Friday.

Needing three points to clinch the Premier League title against West Bromwich Albion and with the match goalless with 82 minutes played, Batshuayi slotted home a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta to deliver Chelsea its sixth-ever English top-flight title and fifth Premier League championship.

The three points put Chelsea at 87 points, 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham who has three matches to play.

The victory officially stops Leicester City's reign as Premier League title holders after a 375-day stretch that was one of the most improbable in sports history. It also provides a grand finish to Antonio Conte's first year as Chelsea manager, who took over Jose Mourinho after the West Londoners finished in 10th last season.

Chelsea now has won two English titles in the past three seasons and five in the last 13.

Before the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea, the Blues' last top-flight title came in the 1954-55 season.

A sixth title continues Chelsea's rise into the upper echelons of English football:</s>West Bromwich, United Kingdom | AFP | Chelsea secured the Premier League title on Friday after substitute Michy Batshuayi’s 82nd-minute goal earned Antonio Conte’s side a hard-earned 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion.

The Belgian striker’s goal took Chelsea 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who have only nine points left to play for.

It is Chelsea’s second title win in three seasons, their sixth in total, and comes at the end of former Juventus and Italy coach Conte’s first season as manager.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>Michy Batshuayi’s late goal has clinched the Premier League title for Chelsea as they beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 but they were made to fight all the way for the victory they craved at The Hawthorns.

Chelsea were suffering some late nerves as West Brom threatened to prolong the title race but substitute Batshuayi prodded home the winner after 82 minutes to spark wild celebrations from Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

The victory, Chelsea’s 28th of the season, put the long-time league leaders 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have only three games left to play.

Italian Conte is only the fourth manager to win the Premier League title at the first attempt, emulating his Stamford Bridge predecessors Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti as well as Manuel Pellegrini who achieved the feat with Manchester City.

The west London club have won the English title six times with five of those triumphs coming in the past 13 seasons.

Earlier, Everton beat Watford 1-0 at Goodison Park through a timely goal to Ross Barkley as the midfielder finds himself in the midst of a contract imbroglio.</s>West Brom 0 Chelsea 1: Antonio Conte came, he saw, and last night he conquered as Chelsea were crowned Premier League champions.

They had to grind it out here in the Black Country, defeating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 to secure the title with two games to spare thanks to Michy Batshuayi’s goal in the 82nd minute.

Despite Tottenham’s attempts to push Chelsea all the way, this has long been the Blues’ Premier League title to lose and indeed they have sat top of the table since the middle of November.

They have scored more goals than any other side in England’s top flight, 76 to be precise, and they have only been as prolific as that in one other season — during the 2009/10 campaign when they ended up with 103 goals to their name.

They were not always at their flowing best under the lights at the Hawthorns, but they got the job done in front of a small group of away fans — some of whom had reportedly stumped up £1,800 (€2,120) to be there.

The victory means Chelsea have claimed the Premier League in five of the last 13 years, a record that can only be beaten by Manchester United.

It also means Conte is now the fourth manager to win the title in his first season, joining an illustrious list of Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, and Manuel Pellegrini.

Chelsea started like a team hungry and eager to get the job done, rather than drag it out to Monday’s match with Watford.

Conte, who was searching for his fourth successive league title having won Serie A three times on the spin with Juventus, was his usual all-action self on the sideline, waving his arms and urging forward the unchanged XI he named after Monday’s win over Middlesbrough.

However, it was West Brom who went close after a matter of seconds as Salomon Rondon’s header was tipped over the bar by Thibaut Courtois.

That, though, proved to be nothing more than a flash in the pan — other than the odd counter — as Chelsea proceeded to find their rhythm.

Gary Cahill was inches away from finding the net from Cesc Fabregas’s free-kick and Pedro fired over from the edge of the box as another cleverly worked set-piece went close.

Chelsea were beginning to turn the screw and Eden Hazard was starting to find the pockets of space that had made him such a threat this season.

However, as Cahill saw another back-post effort blocked, it was clear a familiar theme was starting to develop with half an hour of the match gone. Chelsea could have all the possession they wanted, but West Brom were not going to roll over and hand them the title.

The visitors were getting ever closer though. First, Fabregas fired a shot inches wide and then Pedro, cutting in from the right, saw an effort whistle past the same post as the two sides went in level at half-time.

Chelsea returned for the second half knowing they needed to sharpen up.

They may have had 14 shots in the first half, but only one of those was on target and some fine-tuning was required to find the back of the net. They got their second of the night moments after the break, as Ben Foster had to be at full stretch to deny Victor Moses’ stinging drive.

Hazard was looking livelier too and his mazy run through the West Brom defence almost saw the ball end up in the net, only for Claudio Yacob to hack the ball of the line.

Time was ticking away for Chelsea to wrap the title up and as Diego Costa fell flat on his backside when trying to find space in the box, you got the sense that with 30 minutes to go it just wasn’t going to be their night.

With 15 minutes to go, Conte decided to roll the dice and on came Willian and Batshuayi as Chelsea shifted to a 4-4-2.

And just as so much has for Conte this season, it worked as Batshuayi came up with goods with eight minutes to go.

Cahill shanked a shot wide, but Azpilicueta was able to divert it goalwards into the path of Batshuayi to wrap up the points and the title.</s>WEST BROMWICH-Substitute Michy Batshuayi's dramatic 82nd-minute winner gave Chelsea the Premier League title following a hard-earned 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Friday. The Belgian striker's late goal at The Hawthorns took Antonio Conte's side 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who have only nine points left to play for.

It is Chelsea's second title win in three seasons, their sixth in total, and comes at the end of former Juventus and Italy coach Conte's first season as manager. "This is a great achievement for the players," Conte told Sky Sports in a pitch-side interview after breaking away from his players' jubilant celebrations.

"I thank them for their commitment and work-rate. They showed me a great attitude to try to do something great this season. After this win we must be happy, we must be pleased. It wasn't easy for me to arrive in England and try different habits, a different language and inherit players after a bad season."

A video posted on Chelsea's official Twitter account showed reserve goalkeeper Asmir Begovic tipping an ice bucket over Conte as he entered the changing room while Diego Costa sprayed him with champagne.

Batshuayi, the understudy to Costa, had only been on the pitch for seven minutes when he scored the winning goal -- his first in the league since August. "It's good. It's the best day for Chelsea today," said Batshuayi, who arrived from Marseille last year in a £33.2 million ($42.8 million, 39.1 million euros) transfer. "Everybody is happy. It's great to take the trophy."

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said: "I thought it was going to be one of those days. We had so many chances in the first half and then we got a bit nervous. The beauty of football: a player who didn't play a lot scores the winning goal for the championship."

Conte, who claimed three Serie A titles as Juventus coach, has restored Chelsea to the winners' circle by rebuilding from the chaotic end of Jose Mourinho's second reign. Two years after Mourinho led Chelsea to the title, Conte has stitched the London club back together after dressing-room unity unravelled under Mourinho during a horrendous title defence last season. The Italian's side finally broke through West Brom's stubborn resistance with eight minutes remaining and will now chase the double when they face Arsenal in the FA Cup final on May 27.

Chelsea were almost stunned inside 30 seconds as West Brom created the game's first chance. Darren Fletcher's lofted pass found Salomon Rondon and his flicked header drew a smart save from Thibaut Courtois. Chelsea quickly began applying pressure, but West Brom had a huge chance on the counter-attack when James McClean seized on a loose pass and raced 50 yards into Chelsea territory.

But his attempted pass to Rondon was poor and the Venezuelan was crowded out by Chelsea defenders. Chelsea were becoming frustrated in their efforts to breach the Baggies' defence, but Fabregas nearly broke through with a snap-shot that flashed half a yard wide of the far post. Chelsea might have broken the deadlock just two minutes into the second half when a powerful cross-shot from Victor Moses was turned around the post superbly by West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster. Yet there was almost a shock for Chelsea when Rondon escaped a challenge from David Luiz and raced clear, only for Cesar Azpilicueta to make a vital, saving challenge. Rondon then teed up substitute Nacer Chadli, who fired a shot narrowly wide.

But with eight minutes remaining, Chelsea finally struck as Azpilicueta broke into the West Brom box and crossed from the right for Batshuayi to force home from close range.

Conte charged onto the field in celebration, while West Brom stewards were forced to eject three pitch invaders before the game could be completed and Chelsea could celebrate the title. "We didn't need Chelsea to get a bit of luck," said West Brom manager Tony Pulis. "We needed to have the breaks go for us. We contained them well. No-one can say they had an easy game."

Long-standing captain John Terry will lift the Premier League trophy after Chelsea's final game of the season at home to Sunderland on May 21, which will be his last match for the club. "These boys have been on the field doing it week in, week out," Terry said. "It's been a delight to sit and watch, a different perspective. The togetherness was shown from day one."</s>Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has had the golden touch in his first season in the Premier League, all the way through to the title-clinching game.

With Chelsea scoreless at West Bromwich Albion on Friday and looking like it would squander the first of three opportunities to regain the trophy, Conte made the bold decision to remove star winger Eden Hazard and introduce substitute Michy Batshuayi, a player with just one goal to his name all season.

Within six minutes, Batshuayi was poking home a close-range finish and getting mobbed by teammates in front of Chelsea’s jubilant visiting fans.

It sealed a 1-0 win at The Hawthorns and Batshuayi had just won the league for Chelsea. He later referred to himself as an “unexpected hero” in a Twitter post.

“The beauty of football,” Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said, “a player who didn’t play a lot scores the winning goal for the championship.”

Batshuayi’s 82nd-minute strike was only his second league goal, and first since August, in a tough first season in England.

As for Conte, it couldn’t have gone any better.

The Italian became the fourth manager — after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Manuel Pellegrini — to win the Premier League in his first season in English soccer, and he was thrown in the air by his celebrating players in joyous scenes after the final whistle.

His moves in the transfer market, his tactical switches, and his late substitutions have all paid off. He has now won four straight domestic league titles, including three in a row in the Italian League with Juventus from 2012-14 before a spell in charge of Italy.

“Michy paid me a lot with this change,” Conte said. “It was great. It wasn’t easy for me to arrive in England and try different habits, a different language and inherit players after a bad season.”

Chelsea’s players have gone from being champions in 2015, to finishing in 10th place in 2016 following the worst-ever Premier League title defense, to being champions again.

“People have written us off as a team and individually,” Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said, “and this has shut them up.”

Chelsea — the league leader since early November — has won 28 of its 36 games, including nine of its last 11, to resist a late title challenge from Tottenham. Second-place Spurs are 10 points behind with three games remaining.

It could get even better for Conte’s team, which has also reached the final of the F.A. Cup and will play Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on May 27.

For now, Conte will savor winning the Premier League. After long celebrations on the field, Conte returned to the dressing room and was showered first by a large tub of water and then by a bottle of champagne poured by a semi-naked Diego Costa.

The end of the evening was in stark contrast to the start, as a stubborn West Brom defended deep and in numbers and frustrated Chelsea.

Just after the hour mark, Hazard cut inside and drove in a wild shot that went out for a throw-in. It encapsulated the game for Chelsea, only for Batshuayi to intervene following his 76th-minute introduction.

Cahill’s mishit shot was so badly struck that it spun out to the right wing, where Cesar Azpilicueta collected the ball and got to the byline before sending in a low cross. Batshuayi was the most alert, diverting the ball past goalkeeper Ben Foster with his left foot.

Conte jumped into the arms of his fellow coaches near the dugout. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois sprinted over to join in the big huddle.

“These are moments you need to cherish,” Cahill said. “I can’t wait to get my hands on that trophy.”</s>LONDON (REUTERS) - Substitute Michy Batshuayi’s late goal clinched the Premier League title for Chelsea as they beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Friday (May 12) but they were made to fight all the way for the victory they craved at The Hawthorns.

Chelsea were suffering late nerves as West Brom threatened to prolong the title race but Batshuayi prodded home the winner after 82 minutes to spark wild celebrations from Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

The victory, Chelsea’s 28th of the season, put the long-time league leaders 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have only three games left to play.

Italian Conte is only the fourth manager to win the Premier League title at the first attempt, emulating his Stamford Bridge predecessors Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti as well as Manuel Pellegrini who achieved the feat with Manchester City.

Conte, who won three consecutive titles as Juventus manager before taking over the Italian national team, danced for joy with his players in front of Chelsea’s travelling fans as the final whistle blew on a tense night in the Midlands.

Chelsea have now won five Premier League titles since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, but this one is arguably the most impressive considering they finished a woeful 10th last season.

“You have to cherish these moments, you work so hard all season to be where we are. Consistently we have been the best team in the league. There is no better feeling in football,” Chelsea defender and stand-in captain Gary Cahill told Sky Sports. “People have written us off as a team and individually and this has shut them up. We are champions. It’s another one in the cabinet.”

It was not vintage Chelsea but they got the job done.

They dominated possession against eight-placed West Brom who had little to play for but pride and rained in shots before halftime, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro going closest.

West Brom offered the odd counter-attack but the one-way traffic continued as Victor Moses was denied by a splendid low save by Ben Foster.

Eden Hazard had another effort blocked on the line but as Chelsea strained for the winner they began to look a little vulnerable at the back to West Brom counter-attacks.

The visitors had a huge scare when Salomon Rondon burst clear but his effort was superbly blocked by Cahill.

In the end Chelsea owed it to misfit Batshuayi, a peripheral figure for most of the season, to win it with only his second league goal since joining the club.

Six minutes after replacing a tiring Pedro, the Belgian striker signed from Marseille for 33 million pounds (S$60 million), stuck out a leg to convert Cesar Azpilicueta’s cutback despite a valiant attempt by Ben Foster to keep it out.

The final minutes were interrupted by some scuffling in the stands but nothing could dampen Chelsea’s joy.</s>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.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>WEST BROMWICH, England (AP) — Chelsea clinched the English Premier League at the first opportunity on Friday, beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 through Michy Batshuayi’s 82nd-minute goal to take an unassailable 10-point lead.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte jumped into the arms of his fellow coaches near the dugout after Batshuayi — just on as a substitute — poked home a close-range finish from Cesar Azpilicueta’s cut-back.

It is a second top-flight league title in three seasons and sixth in total for Chelsea, which has led the standings since early November.

Conte became the fourth manager to win the Premier League in his first season in English soccer and he was thrown in the air by his celebrating players in joyous scenes.

The Italian has had the golden touch, and it extended to the title-clinching game.

Chelsea was being frustrated by a stubborn West Brom defending deep and in numbers, so Conte decided to take off Eden Hazard and Pedro Rodriguez and bring on Batshuayi — surprisingly — and Willian.

Six minutes later, the Belgium striker was scoring the biggest goal of his career and being mobbed by teammates in front of Chelsea’s jubilant visiting fans.

It was only Batshuayi’s second league goal, and first since August.

“The beauty of football,” Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said, “a player who didn’t play a lot scores the winning goal for the championship.”

It marked the end of a title race that has been dominated by Chelsea, with only Tottenham giving chase.

Spurs lost at West Ham 1-0 last week to give Chelsea three opportunities to clinch the league. They needed only one.

Chelsea has won 28 of its 36 games, including nine of its last 11 matches. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a club that finished 10th in the league last season in the worst-ever Premier League title defense.

“Consistently we have been the best team in the league,” Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said. “There is no better feeling in football. People have written us off as a team and individually and this has shut them up.”

Conte’s team has also reached the final of the FA Cup, where it will play Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on May 27.
In association football, Chelsea have secured the Premier League title after winning away against West Bromwich Albion.