LONDON: Chelsea have become Premier League champions for the second time in three years after winning 1-0 at West Brom with a late goal from Michy Batshuayi.

Manager Antonio Conte has thus emulated the first leg of the arrival-season achievement of fellow Italian Carlo Ancelotti who guided the Blues to the league and FA Cup in 2010 in his first season. Chelsea will be favourites to repeat that feat when they face Arsenal at Wembley later this month.

At The Hawthorns a late goal from substitute Michy Batshuayi confirmed the three points required to fend off Tottenham’s persistent pursuit.

Chelsea have led the table since a 5-0 victory over Everton in early November amid a 13-game winning run which proved too much for their title rivals to overcome.

Conte will now be aiming for victories in Chelsea’s remaining two games – against Watford and Sunderland – to finish with a tally of 93 points, the second-highest in Premier League history after Jose Mourinho’s 2004-05 total of 95.

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Chelsea dropped as low as eighth during the campaign following a humbling 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in September, a loss which prompted Conte to move to a three-man defence.

The newly crowned champions never looked back and Chelsea have their six English top-flight title – the fifth of the Premier League era – and Conte joins Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti in winning a title in his first season at Stamford Bridge.