Chelsea crowned Premier League champions with two rounds to spare

Michy Batshuayi's late goal helped Chelsea beat host West Brom 1-0 to win the 2016-2017 Premier League title two rounds early.

Chelsea players' joy after scoring the necessary goal to win the championship. Photo: Reuters.

Goal: Batshuayi (82').

The Belgian striker's strike came late in the game. After a series of misdirections distracted the West Brom defence, Batshuayi was on hand to tap home a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta.

This was also a rare shot from Chelsea in the West Brom area. The home team had tried their best to prevent Conte's team from taking the title early when they "poured concrete" at home in the previous minutes. Chelsea had to rely almost entirely on long-range shots to find a surprise against West Brom.

The strike against West Brom was only Batshuayi's first Premier League goal since August 2016. But the former Marseille striker can be proud of having personally led Chelsea to the title. The Blues have 87 points, 10 more than second-placed Tottenham, with only three games remaining. Chelsea have won the title with two games to spare, including a match from Round 38 and a rescheduled match.

West Brom made it difficult for Chelsea with their crowded defense. Photo: Reuters.

The Premier League title was a deserved result for Conte and his team after a season in which they proved to be the most dominant and consistent of the contenders. The performance against West Brom showed Chelsea's hard work and despite the difficulties, they still managed to get the job done.

Chelsea’s revival after last season’s dismal season was something few expected. In September 2016, many people wrote Chelsea off early after they suffered two defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Arsenal. However, that was the turning point, as manager Conte admitted, for Chelsea to change and stand up. After accelerating with a 13-game winning streak, Chelsea lost just three games in the remaining part of the season – those defeats to Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Man Utd.

The man who made a big contribution to Chelsea's success was coach Conte. He became the fourth Italian strategist to win the Premier League after Ancelotti, Mancini and Ranieri. Conte, thanks to that, has won the national championship in each of the last four seasons working at the club level. The previous three times came when he and Juventus dominated Serie A.

Conte's arrival has breathed new life into Chelsea, despite his defensive counter-attacking style of play similar to his predecessor, Mourinho. However, Conte did not let Chelsea defend passively, but instead adopted a 3-4-3 formation to create more flexibility and visual appeal. Under the Italian coach's guidance, Hazard and Diego Costa returned to their peak form, while the three-man defense became solid behind the blocking duo of Kante and Matic.

Coach Conte won the championship in his first season in charge in England. Photo: Reuters.

Aside from the tactical aspect, the great thing that Conte has brought to Chelsea is the rebuilding of the spirit. Just like how he revived a dispirited Juventus, Conte has turned a team that finished 10th last season into a tenacious machine that has won the championship. Conte has done this even though the shadow of Mourinho and rumors surrounding his dismissal still lingered at Stamford Bridge.

Batshuayi's goal was a symbol of the spirit of the Chelsea players. The Belgian striker joined Chelsea for nearly 50 million dollars, but failed to show his ability under Conte. Batshuayi spent most of the time on the bench and is said to no longer be in Chelsea's plans for next season. However, he still tried his best when he had the opportunity to bring home a valuable goal for his team.

According to VNE