The manager inherited a mess but has glued together a title-winning side with his tactical nous, fierce work ethic and by bringing back the funAnd, breathe again. After an extended, processional run-in that started as a head-down sprint away from the peloton and settled into an imperious push from the front, Chelsea are once again champions of the Premier League. Friday night’s crowning victory at The Hawthorns was the 25th in 30 league matches since Antonio Conte’s decisive re-gearing of his team in September, the tactical switches that have coaxed such a thrilling run from this team of bolt-ons and upcycled squad players, most notably Victor Moses, who was dredged out of the laundry bin in the autumn to become...
Antonio Conte’s side strolled to the verge of the title while Middlesbrough have failed to make the most of an opportunity they had waited so long forAntonio Conte will stress there is work still to be done but Chelsea, on this evidence, will be crowned champions at the Hawthorns before the end of the week. West Bromwich Albion will do well to suppress this team’s threat on Friday with the finishing line so close after their dismantling of Middlesbrough. The pace and bite of their forays forward took the breath away at times, with Eden Hazard scuttling at his markers and Diego Costa bullying centre-halves and full-backs alike. The balance to the team has felt ideal since last September and,...
Gabriel and Arsenal falter under pressure, Crystal Palace have a problem with fan behaviour, Sunderland must keep Didier Ndong while Hull’s Harry Maguire continues his excellent formSean Dyche laughed off the fact James Tarkowski had been struck by a plastic cigarette lighter as Burnley’s players celebrated their first goal but Crystal Palace will find the incident far from amusing. This was the third time a visiting player has been struck by an object thrown from that corner of the Holmesdale stand since the club returned to the Premier League in 2013. Wayne Rooney and more recently Fabricio Coloccini were the others hit and the Metropolitan police appealed for witnesses over the coin flung at the Newcastle defender. The Football Association...
With Idrissa Gueye marking the Belgian it fell to Pedro to break the deadlock at Goodison Park, showing why Antonio Conte’s team have the look of championsTo judge by the celebrations at the end the Chelsea players and fans think it is all over. After this it probably is. Not just because Everton seemed to represent the only serious obstacle to a smooth run-in, but because Chelsea already have the look of champions.The very best sides, it is often said, have a hundred different ways of winning a match. Related: Pedro sparks emphatic win against Everton as Chelsea close in on title Continue reading...
Mauricio Pochettino changed his system at half-time and saw his Spurs team flicker into life sufficiently to land the three points and keep up the pressure on ChelseaThe only question for Tottenham Hotspur to answer in south London was a psychological one. Did the damage that Chelsea inflicted at Wembley on Saturday, in another chastening semi‑final experience for Spurs, extend to the Premier League title race?Ideally Mauricio Pochettino would have picked somewhere other than Selhurst Park to see whether his players could come up with a response and, in the process, silence the inevitable criticism that was destined to come his way if they ended up dropping points. Related: Eriksen closes the gap for Tottenham with precious winner at Crystal...