Chelsea are the champs
CHELSEA were crowned Premier League champions last night after Michy Batshuayi scored late to secure Friday night’s 1-0 victory over West Brom.
Second-placed Tottenham’s loss at West Ham last Friday and Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat of Middlesbrough on Monday meant the Blues needed three points from three games to clinch the championship.
Conte wanted to secure the trophy at the earliest opportunity and Batshuayi was an unlikely hero after 82 minutes at The Hawthorns. Batshuayi was not even among the substitutes on Monday and is still to make a Premier League start.
The Belgium striker, a £33million signing from Marseille last summer, made his 18th Premier League appearance off the bench and finally showed his poacher’s instinct, seven minutes later, with his second league goal to send Chelsea and Antonio Conte delirious.
Chelsea had dominated possession, but the quality of their patient build-up was not matched by the final ball. And Albion caused the visitors some anxiety on the break.
Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster made a fine save to deny Victor Moses early in the second half before Batshuayi’s decisive intervention.
The win saw Chelsea take an unassailable 10-point lead over Spurs with two games to spare and clinched the Blues’ fifth Premier League title in 13 seasons.
And they will seek to complete a double in Conte’s first season by winning the FA Cup Final against Arsenal on May 27.