Chelsea 5 Sunderland 1: Antonio Conte’s champions finish the Premier League season in style

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Chelsea became record breakers with their 5-1 win over Sunderland on Sunday as the Blues bid farewell to their captain John Terry at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte's side are now the first English club to secure 30 top-flight victories in a 38-game season after they defeated already-relegated Sunderland in west London, beating their own record set by Jose Mourinho's champions in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 campaigns.

The win was also a fitting way for Terry to sign off his 22 years at Chelsea, with the defender being given an emotional send off during and after the match as he lifted the Premier League title with the club one last time.

Sunderland had given the champions a scare early on when Javier Manquillo scored in only the third minute but Willian's superb low effort five minutes later restored parity.

Eden Hazard then handed the Blues the lead with his fine effort just after the hour mark before substitute Pedro scored a 77th-minute header and Michy Batshuayi added two more late on to help Chelsea break a new league record ahead of their FA Cup final clash with Arsenal on Saturday.

The last two times Chelsea hosted Sunderland at Stamford Bridge saw the Blues secure 3-1 victories - with one of them coming on the final day of the season in 2015 when Mourinho's side had already been crowned champions.

That day, Chelsea fans said goodbye to their much-loved striker Didier Drogba while on Sunday it was Terry who was receiving the farewell.

Conte decided to hand the 36-year-old a start for his final match at Chelsea, but things didn't begin as planned for the champions when Manquillo fired in the opener in just the third minute.

The goal came from a free kick that Sebastian Larsson whipped into the area but was then deflected into the path of Manquillo. The 23-year-old had the space and time to pick out his shot, and he did so in some style when he smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Chelsea did not take too long to respond, however, and they restored parity just five minutes later through Willian.

Following a free kick that Cesc Fabregas fired onto the bar, the Blues kept the ball alive and it eventually fell to Willian, who drove a low effort toward goal that Jordan Pickford unwittingly parried into his own goal.

The intensity of the game began to fizzle out as attention turned to Terry, who was substituted off as planned in the 26th minute for Gary Cahill.

Chelsea had earlier announced they would be taking off Terry, who has been at Chelsea since the age of 14, in the 26th minute to correspond with his shirt number.

And he was given an emotional farewell by his Chelsea teammates, who formed a guard of honour for Terry who was visibly moved as he came off and then gave manager Antonio Conte a hug.

In Pictures | Chelsea's record-breaking 30 Premier League wins

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Sunderland appeared from the break the more motivated of the two sides, and the visitors could have gone back in front when Larsson's corner found Jack Rodwell, whose header looked set to creep into the goal.

But Thibaut Courtois, back in the starting line-up after being rested against Watford, pulled off a last-ditch one-handed save to deny the former Everton man.

Chelsea upped their tempo and were then finally rewarded in the 61st minute when Hazard scored another fine goal to take the hosts into the lead. The Belgian ran onto Costa's pass before firing in a low effort past Pickford.

He was subsequently given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Pedro nine minutes later, with Hazard ending the league season off with a better goals tally (16) than when he won the PFA Player of the Year award two years ago.

The change proved inspired as Pedro made it 3-1 following an error from Joleon Lescott, who headed Fabregas' lofty pass back toward goal which Pedro ran onto and headed past Pickford.

Batshuayi then latched onto Pedro's through ball with a minute left on the clock, which he fired in, before adding a second moments later to end the game 5-1 and ensure that Conte’s side capped off the season by becoming record breakers.

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