KANTE AND MATIC
Chelsea clinched the Premier League title with two games to
spare as they beat West Brom 1-0 at the Hawthorns on Friday night. Here, we
look back at five vital games on their road to glory under Antonio Conte...
Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea
(September 24)
Chelsea's trip to the Emirates Stadium in September will be
remembered as the biggest turning point in the Blues' season. Antonio Conte's
side had drawn with Swansea and lost to Liverpool in their previous games, and
they were completely outclassed as Arsenal ran riot in north London.
Alexis Sanchez capitalised on a Gary Cahill error to give
the Gunners an early lead, with Theo Walcott converting from Hector Bellerin's
pass just three minutes later. Things went from bad to worse for Chelsea when
Mesut Ozil scored a breakaway third shortly before half-time.
The defeat left Chelsea eighth in the Premier League, but,
crucially, it also prompted Conte to switch from a back four to a back three.
It was an inspired tactical adjustment which would prove vital to their title
charge.
The new formation was so effective that many of their rivals soon began
to follow suit.
Chelsea 4-0
Manchester United (October 23)
Jose Mourinho left Stamford Bridge with his tail between his
legs as Conte's players embarrassed their former manager in the most emphatic
style possible on his return to west London.
It only took 30 seconds to strike the first blow, with Pedro
punishing slack defending to roll the ball home.
Cahill then smashed in the
second after Manchester United failed to clear a corner, with goals from Eden
Hazard and N'Golo Kante compounding Mourinho's misery in the second half.
After defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal earlier in the
season, this was Chelsea's first win of any kind against one of their direct
rivals. It was a perfect way to lay down a marker to the rest of the division,
and it also provided a psychological boost, allowing Chelsea's players put the
misery of the previous season behind them once and for all.
Chelsea were still fourth in the table behind Manchester
City, Arsenal and Liverpool, but suddenly they knew what they were capable of.
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
(April 5)
Four days after a shock 2-1 defeat to Sam Allardyce's
Crystal Palace, Chelsea's faced a formidable test of their powers of recovery
at home to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Could they get straight back on
track after their most disappointing result since September?
With a mixture of talent and resilience, they managed it.
Hazard's early opener was cancelled out by Sergio Aguero, but the Belgian put
them back in front before half-time. There was plenty of work to do after that,
but steeled themselves to hold on for the three points.
The victory maintained their seven-point advantage over
Tottenham and all but ended City's slim hopes of catching them. "We must
be pleased because we beat the best team in the league," said Conte.
"To win this type of game at this time of the season is great."
Everton 0-3 Chelsea
(April 30)
Chelsea's trip to Goodison Park was arguably their toughest
remaining test of the season, and with in-form Tottenham breathing down their
necks in second place, they could ill-afford to drop points.
For just over an hour on Merseyside, it seemed that's
exactly what was about to happen. Everton defended stubbornly but Chelsea's
persistence paid off when Pedro struck a brilliant 25-yarder to open the
scoring.
Cahill then doubled their advantage with his eighth goal of the
season, before Willian wrapped up an emphatic victory.
Its significance was clear at the final whistle, as Conte
joined his players to celebrate wildly in front of the travelling fans. With
only four games of the season to go - including three home meetings with teams
in the bottom half of the table - this was a significant step towards the
trophy.
West Brom 0-1 Chelsea
(May 12)
Chelsea travelled to the West Midlands knowing victory would
seal the title, but for a long time at The Hawthorns it seemed they would be
made to wait.
Tony Pulis' side were typically well-organised as the likes
of Costa and Hazard struggled to find a way through, and in the end it was left
to substitute Michy Batshuayi to be an unlikely hero.
The Belgian, who had not scored a Premier League goal since
August, was in the right place at the right time to convert Cesar Azpilicueta's
cross with just eight minutes remaining. When the final whistle blew, Conte led
the team's jubilant celebrations.
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