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Chelsea secure Premier League title in Conte's first season

Chelsea's 1-0 win at West Brom wrapped up the Premier League title at the first time of asking for manager Antonio Conte – UEFA.com looks at how the Blues did it.

Chelsea secure Premier League title in Conte's first season
Chelsea secure Premier League title in Conte's first season ©Getty Images

How they won it
Back-to-back defeats by Liverpool (2-1) and Arsenal (3-0) in September prompted Antonio Conte to switch to a 3-4-2-1 system; this was a clear turning point. Indeed the Blues have dropped just 13 points in their subsequent 30 fixtures, with David Luiz, Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kanté (Premier League player of the year) and Eden Hazard among those to have profited most visibly from their manager's tactical tweak.

Key number: 13
Following that change in formation, Chelsea racked up 13 consecutive league wins – just one shy of the English top-flight record. That sequence was ended by a 2-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur.

The opposition
Spurs have consistently been Chelsea's closest challengers since that win at the start of January, but still find themselves ten points adrift with three games remaining. Manchester City were the early pacesetters – they won their first six league games – but Josep Guardiola's men are now back in third. Liverpool have impressed at times but have failed to match the champions' consistency.

Antonio Conte has made an instant impact at Chelsea
Antonio Conte has made an instant impact at Chelsea©Getty Images

Make it a double?
Quite possibly. Chelsea face Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday 27 May. Should they win, Conte will match countryman Carlo Ancelotti's 2009/10 achievement of winning the double in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

Room for improvement
There have been chinks in the armour recently – Chelsea lost to Crystal Palace and Manchester United in April – which suggest Conte will need to consolidate in the summer. The Italian called on his side to be more clinical earlier in the campaign, while the Blues could arguably do with even more dynamism in central midfield at times.

Biggest win: 5-0 v Everton
Biggest loss: 3-0 v Arsenal
Top scorer: Diego Costa (20)

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