Chelsea are champs

Chelsea secured the Premier League crown in magnificent fashion on Sunday with an 8-0 thrashing of 10-man Wigan Athletic in a party atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba scored a hat-trick to finish top of the Premier League scoring charts with 29 goals as Carlo Ancelotti’s rampant side edged an intriguing title race one point above Manchester United, who beat Stoke City 4-0.

Nicolas Anelka also scored twice while Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and Ashley Cole were on target as Chelsea ended the season with 103 league goals, the first side to top the century mark in the top flight since Tottenham Hotspur in 1963.

Chelsea, who prevented United winning a record 19th league title and a fourth in succession, can complete the double in next week’s FA Cup final against Portsmouth.

Chelsea facts

• Chelsea have secured their fourth league title (1955, 2005, 2006, 2010) and their first under Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti.
• Ancelotti’s men can still finish the season with a double if they win a sixth FA Cup trophy later in May.
• Chelsea, the division’s top scorers, took the 2010 title with wins home and away against the Premier League ‘elite’ of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
• They clinched the title on the final day of the season with an 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic to finish one point clear of Manchester United.

English champions and runners-up since the league restarted in the 1946-47 season after World War Two:

Season Champions Runners-up

1946-47 — Liverpool Manchester United

1947-48 — Arsenal Manchester United

1948-49 — Portsmouth Manchester United

1949-50 — Portsmouth Wolverhampton Wanderers

1950-51 — Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United

1951-52 — Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur

1952-53 — Arsenal Preston North End

1953-54 — Wolverhampton Wanderers West Bromwich Albion

1954-55 — Chelsea Wolverhampton Wanderers

1955-56 — Manchester United Blackpool

1956-57 — Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur

1957-58 — Wolverhampton Wanderers Preston North End

1958-59 — Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester United

1959-60 — Burnley Wolverhampton Wanderers

1960-61 — Tottenham Hotspur Sheffield Wednesday

1961-62 — Ipswich Town Burnley

1962-63 — Everton Tottenham Hotspur

1963-64 — Liverpool Manchester United

1964-65 — Manchester United Leeds United

1965-66 — Liverpool Leeds United

1966-67 — Manchester United Nottingham Forest

1967-68 — Manchester City Manchester United

1968-69 — Leeds United Liverpool

1969-70 — Everton Leeds United

1970-71 — Arsenal Leeds United

1971-72 — Derby County Leeds United

1972-73 — Liverpool Arsenal

1973-74 — Leeds United Liverpool

1974-75 — Derby County Liverpool

1975-76 — Liverpool Queens Park Rangers

1976-77 — Liverpool Manchester City

1977-78 — Nottingham Forest Liverpool

1978-79 — Liverpool Nottingham Forest

1979-80 — Liverpool Manchester United

1980-81 — Aston Villa Ipswich Town

1981-82 — Liverpool Ipswich Town

1982-83 — Liverpool Watford

1983-84 — Liverpool Southampton

1984-85 — Everton Liverpool

1985-86 — Liverpool Everton

1986-87 — Everton Liverpool

1987-88 — Liverpool Manchester United

1988-89 — Arsenal Liverpool

1989-90 — Liverpool Aston Villa

1990-91 — Arsenal Liverpool

1991-92 — Leeds United Manchester United

1992-93 — Manchester United Aston Villa

1993-94 — Manchester United Blackburn Rovers

1994-95 — Blackburn Rovers Manchester United

1995-96 — Manchester United Newcastle United

1996-97 — Manchester United Newcastle United

1997-98 — Arsenal Manchester United

1998-99 — Manchester United Arsenal

1999-00 — Manchester United Arsenal

2000-01 — Manchester United Arsenal

2001-02 — Arsenal Liverpool

2002-03 — Manchester United Arsenal

2003-04 — Arsenal Chelsea

2004-05 — Chelsea Arsenal

2005-06 — Chelsea Manchester United

2006-07 — Manchester United Chelsea

2007-08 — Manchester United Chelsea

2008-09 — Manchester United Liverpool

2009-10 — Chelsea Manchester United

Since the League began in 1888-89, the following clubs have won the title:

18 — Liverpool, Manchester United

13 — Arsenal

9 — Everton

7 — Aston Villa, Sunderland

5 — Newcastle United

4 — Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday

3 — Huddersfield Town, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers

2 — Portsmouth, Preston North End, Burnley, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County

1 — Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town