Chelsea's 2016/17 title-winning season, month-by-month

Sport360 staff 14:09 13/05/2017

Chelsea secured the Premier League title on Friday after substitute Michy Batshuayi’s 82nd-minute goal earned Antonio Conte’s side a hard-earned 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion.

The Belgian striker’s late goal at The Hawthorns took Chelsea 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who have only nine points left to play for.

Here, we look at their journey to the title dating back to the start of the season in August.

AUGUST

Antonio Conte’s reign began with a 2-1 win over West Ham as the first of three Premier League wins in the month. Watford were beaten 2-1 and Burnley 3-0, while the Blues also advanced in the EFL Cup with victory over Bristol Rovers.

Month league record: Played three, won three.

League position: Second, behind Manchester City on goal difference.

SEPTEMBER

A 2-2 draw at Swansea was followed by defeat at home to Liverpool and a 3-0 loss at Arsenal – after a League Cup win at Leicester – which prompted Conte to take action. Three down at half-time, Conte tinkered with his tactics, installing a 3-4-3 formation.

Month league record: Played three, drew one, lost two.

League position: Eighth, eight points behind leaders City.

OCTOBER

Chelsea scored 11 goals without reply in four league wins, the highlight being the 4-0 defeat of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. The one blot was the EFL Cup loss at West Ham, when Conte deployed a much-changed line-up.

Month league record: Played four, won four.

League position: Fourth, one point behind leaders City.

NOVEMBER

Everton were beaten 5-0 and Chelsea won 1-0 at Middlesbrough before dispatching Tottenham 2-1 in a closely contested game. The defeat of Spurs extended the winning run in the Premier League to seven games, with 19 goals scored and one conceded.

Month league record: Played three, won three.

League position: First, one point clear of City and Liverpool.

DECEMBER

Chelsea enhanced their title credentials with a 3-1 win at City, before 1-0 victories over West Brom, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. Bournemouth were beaten and a calendar-year ending defeat of Stoke extended the league winning run to 13 games.

Month league record: Played six, won six.

League position: First, six points clear of second-placed Liverpool.

JANUARY

Defeat at Tottenham halted Chelsea’s bid for a league record-winning sequence, but the Blues won at Leicester, beat Hull and drew at Liverpool while also seeing off Peterborough and Brentford in the FA Cup.

Month league record: Played four, won two, drew one, lost one.

League position: First, nine points clear of Tottenham and Arsenal.

FEBRUARY

Chelsea improved their advantage over Arsenal – and avenged the defeat in the reverse fixture – with a 3-1 win. Progress was slowed by a 1-1 draw at Burnley but a 3-1 defeat of Swansea followed FA Cup progress at Wolves.

Month league record: Played three, won two, drew one.

League position: First, 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham.

MARCH

Another ‘wrong’ was corrected, with a 2-1 win at West Ham followed by a 2-1 victory at Stoke. There was also a 1-0 success over Mourinho’s United in a fiery FA Cup quarter-final as Chelsea’s mettle was tested and the double dream remained.

Month league record: Played two, won two.

League position: First, 10 points clear of second-placed Spurs.

APRIL

The jitters set in as Chelsea stumbled to a surprise 2-1 home loss to struggling Crystal Palace and then lost at Manchester United to see their lead over Tottenham cut to four points. There were league victories over Manchester City, Bournemouth, Southampton and at Everton, plus a FA Cup semi-final defeat of Spurs.

Month league record: Played six, won four, lost two.

League position: First, four points clear of Tottenham in second place.

MAY

Victory over Middlesbrough, condemning their opponents to relegation, re-established a seven-point lead as Tottenham had lost at West Ham. And Chelsea reclaimed the title at the first attempt, beating West Brom.

Month league record: Play two, won two.

League position: First, with an unassailable lead.

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