Watch: Chelsea wins Premier League title on Batshuayi's late goal at West Brom
Chelsea clinched the 2016-17 Premier League title on Friday, thanks to a highly unlikely source.
Summer signing Michy Batshuayi, who cost £33 million to pry from Marseille but hadn't scored in the league since August, scored in the 82nd minute off a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta, securing a 1-0 win at West Brom and the points needed to put second-place Tottenham out of reach.
After last season's 10th-place finish in its title defense, Chelsea rebounded in a big way. First-year manager Antonio Conte molded the squad into a champion, and save for a slip-up against Manchester United that cracked the door open for Tottenham on April 16, the Blues have had a stranglehold on the top of the table since November.
The Baggies nearly scored in the opening minute, with Salomon Rondon's long-range header forcing Thibaut Courtois to tip it over the bar. West Brom took a defensive stance from that point forward though, frustrating Chelsea while trying to hit on the counter.
Chelsea almost scored after a quarter hour on a well-worked free kick, with Pedro being set up for a low shot from distance. It took a deflection and went just wide of the mark, though, keeping the game scoreless.
Chelsea's next best chance came off another set piece, with Gary Cahill having the ball fall to him by the far post, only to have his angled chance deflected out for a corner in the 21st minute.
Cesc Fabregas was inches from striking in the 32nd minute, taking a pass from Eden Hazard and blazing a low effort from long range, putting it just wide of the left post.
Antonio Conte makes immediate mark in turning Chelsea back into a champion
Chelsea tested Ben Foster immediately after halftime through Victor Moses, who seemingly didn't have a shooting lane but created one for himself and forced a sensational diving stop from the West Brom goalkeeper.
The Blues kept the pressure in the 50th minute, with Fabregas whizzing a sliced, right-footed blast just wide of the upper right-hand corner of the goal.
Hazard then carved his way through the defense after a chested-down ball from Diego Costa and whipped in a cross that was nearly put into the West Brom goal by defender Craig Dawson, while Chelsea continuing to maraud forward.
West Brom nearly found a chance to go ahead on the counter, after Rondon turned on David Luiz at the center line and took off for the Chelsea goal. Cesar Azpilicueta made a strong recovery tackle, though, forcing a deflected, bouncing chance that went out for a fruitless corner.
Chelsea found its breakthrough at last in the 82nd minute through Batshuayi, who hardly played a role in the club's success this season. He followed up a cross from Azpilicueta at the goal mouth with a sliding finish to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead–a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
The goal set off celebrations for Chelsea in enemy territory, with the club securing a fifth Premier League title and sixth top-flight title in England.
The win sends departing captain John Terry out as a winner, and there could be more silverware yet for Chelsea, with the club facing Arsenal in the FA Cup final later this month.
