Conte has magic touch until the end

Late sub Batshuayi nets winner to seal title in Chelsea boss' debut EPL season

WEST BROMWICH, England - Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has had the golden touch in his first season in the English Premier League, all the way through to the title-clinching game.

With Chelsea scoreless at West Bromwich Albion on Friday and looking like squandering the first of three opportunities to regain the trophy, Conte took 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 poked home a close-range finish and was 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. The Belgian 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 more than often worked out. He has now won four straight domestic league titles, taking in three in a row 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."

But the Italian has taken it all in his stride. 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 by Tottenham. Second-placed Spurs are 10 points behind Chelsea with three games remaining.

It could get even better for Conte's team, which will face Arsenal in the FA Cup final 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 striker Diego Costa, who has contributed 20 league goals this term.

The end of the evening was in stark contrast to the start, as West Brom stubbornly defended deep and in numbers to frustrate the Blues.

Just after the hour mark, Hazard cut inside and drove in a wild shot that went out for a throw-in, summing up Chelsea's travails.

However, Batshuayi's 76th-minute introduction changed the game.

A mishit Cahill shot spun out to the right wing, where Cesar Azpilicueta collected the ball and crossed for the alert Batshuayi to fire past goalkeeper Ben Foster with his left foot.

Conte jumped into the arms of his fellow coaches while Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois sprinted over to join in the touchline huddle.

"These are moments you need to cherish," Cahill said. "I can't wait to get my hands on that trophy."

Associated Press

Chelsea's triumph in numbers

0 - red cards for Chelsea players in the league this season.

2 - players to have appeared in every Chelsea league game: Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta.

3-4-3 - formation manager Antonio Conte switched to with Chelsea trailing 3-0 at Arsenal in September, sparking a turnaround in fortunes.

4 - Conte has now won the league title in his last four seasons as a club manager, having lifted the Serie A trophy three years running with Juventus before leaving to manage Italy.

5 - losses, the third-best record - behind Tottenham and Manchester United.

6 - midfielder Cesc Fabregas now has an unmatched six seasons with at least 10 Premier League assists.

13 - club-record winning run that took Chelsea from eighth in the standings at the end of September to top spot and looking unassailable.

16 - clean sheets for Chelsea, behind only Tottenham with 17.

20 - Diego Costa's goal tally, making him the Premier League's third-highest scorer.

28 - games won so far, which is more than any team in the league.

76 - the club's goals total is the highest in the league.

114 - tackles by N'Golo Kante, the second highest in the Premier League behind Everton's Idrissa Gueye on 134.

376 - minutes played by club captain John Terry in the league campaign.

2,341 - Azpilicueta has made more passes than any other Premier League player.

Associated Press

(China Daily 05/14/2017 page24)