That's all folks ...
Michy Batshuayi was the unlikely hero on a night when Chelsea wrapped up their sixth title in the face of surprisingly obdurate resistance from West Brom. His 82nd minute winner sparked wild celebrations among Chelsea’s players, backroom team and travelling fans that are likely to last long into the night. Thanks for your time and have a great weekend. We’ll have plenty more live action for you in the coming days.
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We're spoiling you tonight readers ...
Here’s our game-by-game guide to Chelsea’s march to the title.
David Luiz speaks ...
The Chelsea defender was quite the laughing stock when Chelsea re-signed him from PSG, but has had the last laugh on his detractors after a fine season. Speaking to the BBC, he had this to say after Chelsea’s win over West Brom and I think it’s fair to say he is ... well, happy.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “This is my first Premier League title. When I decided to come back here it was because of this - I dreamed of one day winning the Premier League so I’m very happy because my dream came true. I am so happy - we worked hard every day to have these kinds of moments.”
Paying tribute to his manager, he praised his work ethic. “He likes to work - this is his secret,” he said. “He works with passion every day. I am so happy for him because it’s never easy to come here in the first year and win the title. He deserves it because he works hard every day.”
More from Antonio Conte ...
The Chelsea manager on the logic behind his doouble substitutions: “I think during the game you can allow to do this change [taking Hazard and Pedro off],” he said. “This moment of the game I think Hazard was a bit tired and also Pedro, and I wanted to give more energy with Michy and Willian. I think that Michy paid me a lot with this change but it’s great for me, this is my first season. It wasn’t easy for me to arrive in England to try a different habit, a different language and also a lot of players after a bad season.”
The Chelsea manager on the tactics that helped win him the title - specifically, changing to a back three after suffering a hiding at the hands of Arsenal. “I think this decision to change our system won this league because in the first part of the season we didn’t have the right balance,” he said. “And when I saw after two defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal ... bad defeats, not simple defeats, I knew I needed to change and find a new situation for my team. In my mind there was this option to change and play with a 3-4-3 because I know the characteristic of Willian and Pedro - number 10. To play with only one forward and two number 10s made us more solid in our defence.”
Not everyone is pleased with Chelsea's title win ...
Millwall fan and broadcaster Danny Baker has a good idea.
Chelsea's open top bus parade is on June 3rd at 4am. It won't disrupt traffic, only fanatics will go & the rest of us can sleep through it.
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 12, 2017
More reaction from the Hawthorns ...
Paul Wilson was there alongside Daniel Taylor for the Guardian and his winged monkey has just tapped on the window of Guardian Towers and handed in this dispatch.
More praise for Antonio Conte ...
Sky pundit Thierry Henry has been praising the humility of his former Juventus team-mate and it’s no surprise. The Italian is hard-working and a real class act who seems to have the respect of most, if not all of his charges. After winning the title, he was very quick to praise his players and his staff and very reluctant to take any of the credit for the title win. It is fair to say one of his recent predecessors is not noted for the same magnanimity as Conte in victory or defeat. Indeed, it will be interesting to see how long passes before the individual in question tries to take some or all of the credit for this title win of Chelsea’s.
Don't worry I got this yall 😂😂 God loves unexpected heroes ❤ Very happy tonight enjoy the title FAM !!!! #CFC #KTBFFH #Neversurrender pic.twitter.com/8pCEsR3Z2h
— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) May 12, 2017
Get your peepers around this beauty ...
Our crack video team have produced this animated delight outlining how Chelsea went about winning the Premier League this season.
Tony Pulis speaks ...
“We didn’t need them to get the little bit of luck tonight,” says the West Brom manager. “They’re wonderful champions and they could win the double. We gave them a really good game and we wanted to do that tonight. We needed all the breaks tonight and we didn’t need them to get the break.” He goes on to say that he can’t fault the efforts of his players, but some of their decision-making at crucial moments left a lot to be desired. I suspect he’s referring to the two counter-attacks West Brom had from corners, where they messed up despite having a numerical advantage.”
A remarkable statistic ...
It seems astonishing that Chelsea have got through an entire Premier League season – well, 36 games of it with two to go – without having a single player sent off. They’re clearly a very well disciplined side.
More reaction from Chelsea ...
“It’s amazing to celebrate something with the fans and especially when the game was so difficult,” says Eden Hazard.
Alongside him, Marcos Alonso is pleased to have won his first major honour in football. “I think we had the confidence for the 90 minutes but we knew it was going to be tough,” he says. “I am delighted and hopefully there is more to come.”
Lads defended well and were super disciplined - tough to take but congrats to the @premierleague Champions Chelsea, Well deserved 👏👏
— Ben Foster (@BenFoster) May 12, 2017
An email from Andrew Benton ...
“The Leicester surprise package of last year evidenced the spread of quality in the Premier League, and clearly showed that the right motivation and management make all the difference,” he says. “This year, we’re back to the same old, same olds (Chelsea, Arsenal, the Manchesters, etc), and it’s boring as anything to a non-partisan onlooker. The Premiership should look at ways of introducing some controlled ‘randomness’ to give the lesser teams a chance, to better reflect all aspects of the game, not just how much money clubs can spend on players. Will they, when they are raking in the TV dosh? No.”
WHAT A NIGHT! 🏆#ChelseaChampions pic.twitter.com/gOhrm4wXQ4
— CHAMPIONS! 🏆 (@ChelseaFC) May 12, 2017
You know the words, Blues fans!!! 🎶#ChelseaChampions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Fy0lMojXsr
— CHAMPIONS! 🏆 (@ChelseaFC) May 12, 2017
The celebrations continue: Chelsea’s players are now in their dressing room, where the champagne is being sprayed and the celebratory selfies are being taken. Pogoing up and down as they sing about their “champions” status, Diego Costa is a vision in tight black strides and nothing else.
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Meanwhile on Merseyside ...
Everton have seen off Watford in a match that has been ever so slightly overshadowed by events at the Hawthorns.
More from Conte ...
He thanks Chelsea’s fans and his staff. “They did a fantastic job,” he says of his backroom and medical teams. “We didn’t have a lot of injuries and it was a great job from my staff. It was a great season but for it to become a fantastic season we have to win the FA Cup.
Antonio Conte speaks ...
In conversation with the Sky Sports crew, the Chelsea manager gives his players plenty of credit. “It’s a great achievement for the players,” he says. “I have to give thanks for their commitment and work-rate and patience, they showed me great attitude and great desire to try to do something great in the season. Now after this win I think we must be happy and pleased for the whole season.”
Stay with us for post-match reaction
The match may be over, but the Chelsea party has just started. It was prompted by what Gary Neville labelled “a scabby goal” but nobody connected with the club will care about the quality of the strike that won them their sixth title. Stay with us for post-match reaction and various Chelsea-related Guardian treats that are coming down the pipe imminently.
Michy Batshuayi is pleased: “For sure, yeah,” says the goalscorer when asked if scoring the goal that won Chelsea the title has been the best moment of his career to date. He’s had a tough season, spending most of it on the substitute’s bench, but he came off it tonight to scramble home a very important winner when it looked like West Brom might hold out for the draw, or even sneak an unlikely win.
Viva John Terry II: “We will lift it together of course,” says John Terry as he and Gary Cahill are asked about the presentation of the trophy, which will take place at the end of their final league game of the season against Sunderland. “Gaz has been playing week in and week out and has been different class,” he says.
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Viva John Terry: Along with his fellow substitutes, Terry is enjoying the celebrations and joins his team-mates, manager and all Chelsea’s backroom staff as they hold hands in a long line across the pitch and embark on a very poorly co-ordinated ... celebratory something-or-other. “To be honest at times tonight it was going to be one of those days,” says Cesc Fabregas. He goes on to upset Geoff Shreeves by saying “Football is fucking unbelievable!” I hope he doesn’t kiss his wife with that potty-mouth!
Antonio Conte’s face is a picture! The Italian is overjoyed and runs on to the pitch and jumps into the arms of Thibaut Courtois, before uncoupling himself and joining the rest of his players as they go to take the applause of their fans.
CHELSEA ARE CHAMPIONS!!!
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeep! It’s all over and Chelsea are champions of England for the sixth time in their history. It was hard work for them tonight, but Michy Batshuayi’s late goal was enough to get the job done.
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90+5 min: Chelsea get the ball back and try to run down the clock playing if over and back across the field. The title is just seconds away.
90+3 min: Again, West Brom press forward down the right wing. Chadli sends a low cross into the box, but it runs through to Courtois.
90+2 min: West Brom are refusing to roll over and press forward in search of an equaliser. Nyom crosses into the penalty area, but David Luiz heads clear.
90+1min: We’re in the first of five recommended minutes of added time. Rondon brings a smart save out of Courtois after giving David Luiz the slip, but it wouldn’t have counted if he’d scored as he was in an offside position.
89 min: There’s a break in play to deal with a couple of disturbances. Various Chelsea fans sitting amongst the home fans jumped up to celebrate their team’s goal, sparking anger from the locals around them. A couple of the Chelsea fans in question made their way on to the pitch as the attempted to get in amongst their own, hence the break in play.
88 min: Once he’d calmed down after the goal, Antonio Conte made another change: Kurt Zouma on for Victor Moses.
86 min: Chelsea’s goal sparked delirious celebrations from their manager, who went bonkers with joy on the touchline. Meanwhile down by the corner flag, his players celebrated like men who know they’ve won the league title. They’re not quite there ... yet. Can West Brom ruin their party in the knockings of this game?
84 min: It may not have been too pleasant on the eye, but it could be very important. After Gary Cahill had shanked an effort from distance, the ball fell to Azpilicueta who slid it across the face of goal and Batshuayi was on hand to slide in and steer the ball inside the left upright.
GOAL! West Brom 0-1 Chelsea (Batshuayi)
Chelsea score! The substitute slides the ball home from five yards out to give Chelsea a goal that could win them the title.
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80 min: Batshuayi is penalised for a foul on Jacob, who has been hugely influential since coming on as a substitute. Free-kick for the Baggies, about 35 yards from the Chelsea goal. Brunt stands the ball up at the far post, it’s knocked down to Nyom, who scuffs his shot. West Brom have been playing very well in these past 20 minutes. Very well indeed.
78 min: With Chelsea playing two up top in Costa and Batshuayi, West Brom switch to five at the back after Tony Pulis hands Marc Wilson written instructions and the defender hands them to Darren Fletcher. It’s 5-3-2 v 3-5-2.
77 min: West Brom win a free-kick halfway inside the Chelsea half and Chadli pumps the ball towards the penalty area. It gets a nick from a defender on its way wide and the hosts get a corner.
75 min: Chelsea double-substitution: Willian and Michy Batshuayi replace Pedro and Eden Hazard. “He’s gone up in my estimation for doing that, because Hazard’s been very poor tonight,” says Gary Neville.
72 min: Nacer Chadli shoots low, diagonally and just a few feet wide of the upright after being given a clear sight of goal in the penalty area courtesy of a pass from Jake Livermore. Another wonderful chance wasted by West Brom. Chadli attempted to place the ball wide, when smashing it would have been the better option.
71 min: Jacob plays the ball forward and suddenly Rondon is one-on-one with David Luiz. He takes the ball past the Brazilian and is through on goal with Gary Cahill in hot, desperate pursuit. The defender does enough to deflect Rondon’s shot out for a corner. What a chance that was for West Brom!
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70 min: Hazard picks up the ball just outside the West Brom box, but is dispossessed by Jacob.
69 min: Victor Moses swings an inviting cross in from the right, but Diego Costa is unable to get his head to it. Allan Nyom clears for West Brom.
68 min: Eden Hazard is penalised for offside as he attempts to get on the end of a lofted pass from Fabregas.
66 min: Azpilicueta dives in on Rondon by the touchline near Tony Pulis’s technical area, but no free-kick is forthcoming from Oliver. Pulis is not best pleased.
65 min: West Brom win a free-kick and Chris Brunt’s curling delivery from deep is wonderful and just begging to be attacked. Diego Costa is back to clear for Chelsea with a header.
62 min: Gareth “G-Mac” McCauley is forced off with injury and is replaced by the Republic of Ireland’s Marc Wilson.
61 min: Azpilicueta plays the ball to Diego Costa inside the West Brom penalty area, but the striker gets the ball stuck under his feet as he attempts to swivel and shoot. Cesc Fabregas commits a foul as he attempts to win the ball in the ensuing scramble and West Brom are given the chance to clear their lines.
60 min: West Brom substitution: Nacer Chadli on for James McClean.
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57 min: Hazard rolls the ball up the left wing towards Costa, who tries to pick out Matic. West Brom attempt to clear, but Brunt is penalised for a foul on Hazard. Free-kick for West Brom wide on the left again. After a long discussion between referee Michael Oliver, Brunt and Darren Fletcher, Cesc Fabregas sends the ball into the mixer, where Gary Cahill clashes heads with Jacob while trying to head goalwards. He’s OK to play on after treatment.
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56 min: Michael Dawson is penalised for a nudge on the back of Eden Hazard. Free-kick for Chelsea, wide on the left. Cesc Fabregas’s cross into the box is woeful and bounces wide.
54 min: Victor Moses shoots straight at Ben Foster from distance. Surely it’s only a matter of time before Chelsea score. One suspects the chances of them opning the scoring are increasing the more West Brom’s players tire mentally and physically,
53 min: Craig Dawson almost turns an Eden Hazard cross into his own net from about six yards out, but it’s blocked on the line by Jacob.
51 min: West Brom substitution: Sam Field off, Claudio Jacob on.
50 min: After being teed up by Eden Hazard from the left wing, Fabregas goes close with a shot from just outside the penalty area that fades right of the far post.
48 min: Diego Costa sends a Pedro cross goalwards with a rather ungainly overhead volley. Foster saves the day for West Brom again, but Costa hadn’t caught the ball quite right and it didn’t take a great deal of stopping.
47 min: Victor Moses shoots a low, diagonal drive through the legs of a defender and his fine effort is arrowing towards the bottom right-hand corner until Ben Foster produces a splendid save. Excellent goalkeeping.
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Second half: West Brom 0-0 Chelsea
46 min: No changes on either side as Chelsea get the ball rolling for the second half as they bid to wrap up the Premier League title at the first time of asking. In the Sky studio, Frank Lampard reckons they need to move the ball quicker around the fringes of the West Brom penalty area as they attempt to find space in their bid to break down West Brom’s obdurate defence.
An email from David Wall
“Even if they don’t get it done tonight, Chelsea are going to win the title, and most likely the double,” he says. “ But do you think Conte will be able to repeat this success here season after season? After all, Mourinho’s side similarly ran away with the league, but then couldn’t follow up in the next season, and Conte’s managerial approach is also demanding and intense.
“It raises a question whether this group of players will remain responsive to that environment over a long period. It’s true that Conte maintained his success in Italy, but then, typical Italian players are very different in attitude from typical English players, and Mourinho didn’t experience a drop-off in his last season at Inter unlike he has done in other places either. Of course, that’s assuming that Conte stays for at least the length of his current contract.”
It does indeed depend on Conte staying and my spidey senses are tingling to the effect that he might leave this summer. His wife and daughter still live in Italy and Inter seem determined to make him an offer he might find difficult to refuse. We’ll see.
Half-time at the Hawthorns: West Brom 0-0 Chelsea
It remains scoreless with half the game remaining. Chelsea have dominated, but an obdurate defensive display from the Baggies has limited their opportunities. Despite being bossed in the possession stats, West Brom have had chances of their own. Salomon Rondon went close in the opening moment and his team have looked fairly dangerous on the break.
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45+1 min: West Brom win a corner and then a free-kick wide on the left as the game runs into added time at the end of the first half. The balls curled in to Rondon at the near post, but he can’t get his head to it. Chelsea clear.
45 min: Jonny Evans gets away with a blatant foul as he bends over and rolls the ball along the ground with his hand in a tussle with Fabregas just outside the penalty area. I’m not sure how the referee missed that.
43 min: Moses and Fabregas combine to tee up Hazard in the penalty area, but his shot is blocked. Moments later, Costa fires high over the bar after good work from Pedro, drawing more ironic cheers.
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40 min: Salomon Rondon laughs after being awarded a throw-in. He thought he was being whistled for a foul on Victor Moses and seems a little sheepish at getting the decision. West Brom’s fans cheer at the good of it.
39 min: Allan Nyom is penalised for a foul on Eden Hazard in the left-back position, but nothing comes of the ensuing free-kick.
37 min: Pedro goes close for Chelsea, who sends a left-footed drive that had Ben Foster beaten all ends up a little wide of the back post.
35 min: Sam Field gets booked for an ill-advised lunge on Pedro. It’s field who comes out worse from the challenge and he needs treatment. On Sky, co-comms man Gary Neville is stressing the need for West Brom to keep 11 men on the pitch. James McClean is currently looking a likely candidate for a red card and has been known to lose his cool on more than one occasion.
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34 min: Chelsea advance again, but once again fail to find a way of prising open the West Brom portcullis. The ball ends up at the feet of Ben Foster, who thumps it forward.
33 min: Cesc Fabregas sends a low diagonal drive bouncing a few inches wide of the left upright from a space just outside the penalty area.
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31 min: James McClean, already on a yellow card, is penalised for another foul on Moses, this time in the space between the right side of the penalty area and the touchline. Fabregas sends the free-kick to the far post, where Gary Cahill nods it back across the face of goal. West Brom clear.
29 min: West Brom get forward, enjoying a rare spell of possession as they string several passes together for what seems like the first time in an age. Another poor delivery towards Salomon Rondon means nothing comes of their time on the ball.
28 min: Chris Brunt attempts to hook a James McClean delivery into the box goalwards, but is flagged for offside as Thibaut Courtois saves easily.
26 min: Moments before that Azpilicueta shot, Eden Hazard went down in the West Brom penalty area under a challenge from Jonny Evans. Chelsea’s penalty appeals were half-hearted at best and the ref waves play on.
25 min: Cesar Azpilicueta tries his luck with a low shot from distance, but Ben Foster is quick to get down and save comfortably.
23 min: With a quarter of the game gone, Chelsea will be happy enough with their dominance, but frustrated at their inability to break down West Brom’s defence. They haven’t had it all their own way, as West Brom had the first effort on target in the opening minute and have looked dangerous on the break from a couple of Chelsea corners.
22 min: Risky play from Chris Brunt, who dives in on Victor Moses in the penalty area but times his tackle to perfection.
20 min: James McClean is booked for a foul - or perhaps his subsequent dissent - on Victor Moses, just outside the West Brom penalty area. Fabregas sends the free-kick floating towards the far post, where Gary Cahill shoots wide.
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19 min: Chelsea try to find a way through a packed West Brom defence comprised of a bank of three in front of a bank of six defenders. Chris Brunt and James McClean are playing almost as extra full-backs, wide of Craig Dawson and Allan Nyom respectively.
18 min: From that corner Chelsea win another one and once again West Brom counter-attack, this time in great numbers. Once again they fail to capitalise as their ponderousness enables Chelsea to get back and tidy up.
16 min: Fabregas plays a weighted square pass across the face of the goal to Pedro, whose low drive is deflected out for a corner.
15 min: Darren Fletcher goes berserk when he’s penalised for a foul on Diego Costa and replays suggest he was hard done by. Free-kick for Chelsea, almost in line with the right side of the West Brom penalty area.
13 min: From that corner, which Chelsea played short, West Brom break on the counter-attack and find themselves with a two-on-one. James McClean makes a mess of his pass to Salomon Rondon and a great chance goes begging.
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12 min: A Pedro cross into the penalty area is put out for a corner by Chris Brunt. The Spaniard wants a penalty for hand-ball, but has to settle for a corner.
11 min: Another attack from Chelsea results in Ben Foster saving comfortably from a weak Eden Hazard effort.
10 min: Fabregas picks out Pedro on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot sails high over the bar, prompting whistles of derision from the West Brom fans behind the goal. West Brom are failing desperately in their attempts to shackle Fabregas, who is running this game.
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9 min: Costa tries to drill the ball home from inside the penalty area, but his effort is blocked by a defender. After a very bright opening minute from West Brom, Chelsea are completely bossing this game.
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8 min: Eden Hazard draws a foul from Craig Dawson wide on the left. Fabregas plays it to the far post, but his inswinger to the back post is a little too deep for the incoming Gary Cahill. He stretches every sinew to get a boot to it, but can only steer the ball wide.
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5 min: Cesc Fabregas picks a long pass into the box for Pedro on the edge of the penalty area, with Foster caught in no-man’s land. He gets away with it, as Pedro miskicks while trying to cushion a volley over the stranded goalkeeper. It was an inch-perfect, wonderful raking pass from deep by Fabregas.
3 min: Chelsea get forward and with Marcus Alonso and Victor Moses pressing high up the field. Moses tries to play a one-two but the ball is sent wide. Ben Foster takes the goal-kick.
West Brom v Chelsea is go!
1 min: West Brom kick-off and within 20 seconds, Salomon Rondon brings a smart save out of Thibaut Courtois. The striker got on the end of a Darren Fletcher ball into the box to sending a looping header goalwards. It looked like it might drop in at the top right hand corner, but Courtois got across to tip it over for a corner. Nothing comes from it, with the delivery a mite too high for Jonny Evans.
Not long now ...
To assorted claps and shouts of “C’mon boys!” the teams march out on to the Hawthorns sward soundtracked by some banging choons. The last of the pre-match niceties get under way and kick-off is just minutes away.
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Tony Pulis speaks ...
The West Brom manager is full of compliments for their opponents, but says his team have “got to be party-poopers tonight”. Asked how he plans to poop the Chelsea party, he had this to say. “The way they set up, the spaces are on the other side of the pitch and we’ve got to work really hard trying to get the ball from one side of the pitch to the other and then get two-on-ones. We’ve been working on it in training but it’s going to be very difficult because they’re such a great side,” he says.
West Brom: set-piece kings ...
Chelsea may be top of the Premier League table, but their opponents are the league leaders when it comes to scoring from set-pieces. They’ve bagg(i)ed 19 goals from dead ball situations this season, more than any other team.
Antonio Conte speaks ...
In conversation with Sky’s Geoff Shreeves, the Chelsea manager was asked what his last message to his players will be before sending them out tonight. “My message is simple, to play always to take three points,” he says. “For sure it won’t be easy because we all know West Brom is a good team. We are ready to fight, to fight to take three points.”
On the subject of the importance of focus and concentration tonight: “It is important for us to start the game very well, to have focus, to have concentration and to try to win,” he says. “It won’t be easy. West Brom is a good team, a strong physical team with a good manager.”
And on the mood in the camp today: “The atmosphere must be good for sure, because at this stage of the season, to stay in this position, it is fantastic,” he says. “Now we must try to win.”
The teams are currently warming up
And the Sky cameras are focussing on Gary Cahill as pundits Jamie Redknapp, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard discuss what the central defender brings to the Chelsea party. Quiet leadership, more than his fair share of goals, plenty of blocks and an baility to do the simple things well, seems to be the general consensus although Henry does point out that “he was all over the place, basically” at the beginning of the season.
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Back in December ...
In the corresponding fixture at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, Chelsea left it late to secure the three points courtesy of Diego Costa’s 76th minute winner. Dominic Fifield was at the match for the Guardian and described it as “a slog” for Chelsea against “ruggedly obdurate opposition”. Here’s hoping we get a similarly competitive game tonight. You can read Dom’s report on that one here ...
Cesc Fabregas keeps his place ...
Following his fine display in victory against Middlesbrough earlier this week, Cesc Fabregas has kept his place in Chelsea’s midfield despite the return to fitness of N’Golo Kante, who must settle for a place on the bench tonight. Chelsea’s side is unchanged from that match, while Tony Pulis has made just one change from the West Brom team that drew with Burnley. Allan Nyom comes in at left-back.
West Brom v Chelsea line-ups
West Brom: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom, Fletcher, McClean, Livermore, Field, Brunt, Rondon.
Subs: Robson-Kanu, Yacob, Morrison, Marc Wilson, Myhill, Chadli, Leko.
Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Fabregas, Matic, Alonso, Pedro, Hazard, Costa.
Subs: Begovic, Zouma, Ake, Kante, Willian, Batshuayi, Terry.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Team to face West Brom: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (c); Moses, Matic, Fabregas, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard. #WBACHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 12, 2017
📷 Albion team v @ChelseaFC: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Brunt, Livermore, Fletcher (c), Field, McClean; Rondon.#WBACHE #WBA pic.twitter.com/naB6mXoD1E
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) May 12, 2017
An email from Illinois
“Since no Baggies want to see Chelsea clinch the title at the Hawthorns, neutrals want to see the title race go on as long as possible, and Chelsea supporters want to win the title at home it would be a win-win-win situation if West Brom can avoid defeat today,” writes JR. “Do you think it’s too much to ask for a West Brom victory on a John Terry own goal? Yeah, that might be a little greedy.”
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Chelsea fans at the Hawthorns
While Chelsea’s travelling faithful were quick to snap up the entirety of their ticket allocation of 2,773, one of my acquaintance told me he’d heard that some West Brom fans were selling their tickets to visiting fans and the prices being quoted were eye-watering. It may just be idle chatter, but however many Chelsea fans turn up this evening, if their team wins they will not be presented with the Premier League trophy until the final game of the season at Stamford Bridge, when already relegated Sunderland are the visitors. A cat might look at a king, eh? After that there’s the small matter of an FA Cup final against Arsenal to contest at Wembley.
Team news ...
The return of N’Golo Kante from a thigh injury means Antonio Conte has a full squad to choose from. The PFA Player of the Year missed Monday night’s win over Middlesbrough and was replaced by Cesc Fabregas, who played a blinder and may keep his place on the back of it.
Tony Pulis will have to make do without winger Matty Phillips who is out with a hamstring problem, although striker Hal Robson-Kanu is expected to be available for selection after recovering from similar issues. Central defender Jonny Evans is also fully fit, after recovering from the ankle injury that forced him off the field during West Brom’s 2-2 draw at Burnley last weekend.
Greetings sports fans ...
A win at the Hawthorns will seal the title with two games to spare for Chelsea, just one season into Antonio Conte’s reign as manager. Tony Pulis, the Italian’s opposite number, has promised his side will do their damnedest to stop them, but the odds are heavily stacked against a team that has taken just two points from their past six matches and generally seem to have put their feet up since securing safety with their 3-1 over Arsenal in March. Stay tuned for team news, build-up, all the match action and post-match reaction on a night when Chelsea could become champions of England for the sixth time. Kick-off is at 8pm (BST).
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