HOW HEROES RATED OVER THE SEASON: Hazard back to his best ... and hail Cesar!
THIBAUT COURTOIS 7.5 Commanding presence. Fine season included a magnificent save at Sunderland and a pointsaving display at Liverpool. PL APPS: 35 CLEAN SHEETS: 16 CESAR AZPILICUETA 8 Dependable and versatile. May have found his perfect position on the right side of back three. PL APPS: 36 DAVID LUIZ 8 Quick and easy on the ball and low on errors. Thrived on the responsibility of being Conte’s defensive keystone. PL APPS: 32 GOALS: 1 GARY CAHILL 7.5 Revived after a sloppy start. Led team in the absence of Terry, defended with his heart and scored key goals. PL APPS: 36 GOALS: 6 VICTOR MOSES 7.5 His transformation from flaky winger to wing-back of great stamina and strength was crucial to Conte’s tactical switch. PL APPS: 33 (5 AS SUB) GOALS: 3 MARCOS ALONSO 7.5 An inspired signing who delivered the balance on the left and weighed in with vital goals including two in an important win at Leicester. PL APPS: 30 (1) GOALS: 6 JOHN TERRY 5 Marginalised by Conte’s switch to three at the back but will lift his fifth title before leaving. PL APPS: 7 (3) KURT ZOUMA 5 Back after injury but unable to break into a settled back-three. PL APPS: 8 (6) BRANISLAV IVANOVIC 4 Dreadful start to the season, dropped and sold in January. PL APPS: 13 (7) NATHANIEL CHALOBAH 5.5 Conte’s favourite academy graduate who stepped from the bench into central midfield when there were leads to defend. PL APPS: 9 (9) N’GOLO KANTE 9 The heartbeat of Conte’s Chelsea; covered miles, won the ball, passed it well — and even scored a goal against Manchester United. PL APPS: 33 GOALS: 1 RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK 5 Another frustrating year for a youngster earmarked for greatness by Chelsea’s elite but largely overlooked by three successive managers. PL APPS: 6 (6) OSCAR 4 Failed to make any impression on Conte and was sold to Shanghai SIPG in January. PL APPS: 9 (4) NEMANJA MATIC 7 Supplied the physical presence in the middle and developed a good understanding with Kante. PL APPS: 35 (5) GOALS: 1 CESC FABREGAS 7 Often used from the bench but his creativity has been
influential and his attitude admirable while condemned to the fringes. PL APPS: 27 (15) GOALS: 4 WILLIAN 7 Chelsea’s player of the season last year was ousted by Pedro’s fine form but still able to contribute with goals including one at Man City. PL APPS: 31 (19) GOALS: 7 PEDRO 8 A revelation after an indifferent first season, with destructive speed and some vital goals in spring when Costa dried up. PL APPS: 33 (7) GOALS: 8 IT IS impossible to underestimate the impact Conte has made. EDEN HAZARD 8.5 Back to his best after fitness and form problems in 2015-16; full of flicks, feints and explosive bursts and a memorable solo goal against Arsenal. PL APPS: 34 GOALS: 15 MICHY BATSHUAYI 5 Slow to adjust after signing for £33m; his poor form prompted Conte to use Hazard when without Costa. But his second goal of the season won the title. PL APPS: 18 (18) GOALS: 2 DIEGO COSTA 8 Unstoppable in the first half of the season; less so after the turn of the year but led the line and found his goal touch again when it mattered. PL APPS: 34 GOALS: 20 ANTONIO CONTE 9.5 The Italian spotted the problems, solved them and energised Chelsea with his passion and desire. An emphatic debut season. Now for the FA Cup... ALSO . . . Asmir Begovic (PL apps 1, clean sheets 0); Ola Aina (2 apps as sub); Nathan Ake (1 app as sub)