Category: Football

Chelsea moved ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League with a dominant 5-0 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues carried the momentum of their impressive victory over Tottenham last time out forward and ripped the Hammers apart to boost their hopes of securing European football.

Cole Palmer opened the floodgates with his composed strike in the 15th minute before Conor Gallagher and Noni Madueke strikes made it 3-0 at half-time.

Nicolas Jackson added a fourth shortly after the break and then completed his brace following a VAR check as the Blues capped off a superb performance.

Jarrod Bowen hit the bar three times in an otherwise dismal showing from the visitors, whose winless run will now extend beyond a month and means they can no longer qualify for Europe.

Mauricio Pochettino said his Chelsea side clicked against Tottenham and he’ll be delighted that wasn’t a one-off at the end of a season that’s been blighted by inconsistency. From start to finish, the Blues were dominant, picking apart West Ham and creating chances seemingly at will.

It was five going on 10 in the end, with Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson getting on the scoresheet. Such a performance will do wonders for Pochettino’s hopes of keeping his job and will surely give the Argentinian and everyone associated with the club huge belief ahead of next season.

This was an easy decision. Madueke was immense and looked a threat every time he got on the ball on the right-hand side, particularly in the first half.

He played a part in the first two goals before deservedly getting on the scoresheet himself, adjusting his body quickly to find the net after Thiago Silva’s initial header. He combined superbly with Palmer all game and on another day could have had a hat-trick.

Chelsea: Petrovic (7), Chalobah (7), Silva (7), Badiashile (7), Cucurella (8), Caicedo (7), Gallagher (8), Palmer (8), Madueke (9), Jackson (9), Mudryk (7).

Subs: Gilchrist (6), Gusto (6), Disasi (6), Casadei (6), Nkunku (6).

West Ham: Areola (7), Coufal (5), Zouma (5), Ogbonna (4), Emerson (4), Alvarez (4), Soucek (5), Paqueta (5), Kudus (6), Antonio (4), Bowen (6).

Subs: Cresswell (4), Ward-Prowse (5), Ings (4).

15′ – GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 WEST HAM (PALMER): Who else? Chelsea open the scoring and it’s that man Cole Palmer. Where would the Blues be without him this season. Madueke tries to pick out Jackon in the middle at the end of a nice move and the loose balls drops into the path of Palmer and he makes no mistake, firing past Areola into the far corner.

30′ – GOAL! CHESLEA 2-0 WEST HAM (GALLAGHER): It’s been coming. The relentless pressure pays off as captain Gallagher doubles Chelsea’s lead. Palmer finds Madueke, who is challenged by Zouma, but the loose ball drops for Gallagher to thump a volley into the bottom corner. Unstoppable. Chelsea deservedly lead 2-0.

36′ – GOAL! CHELSEA 3-0 WEST HAM (MADUEKE): After coming close with a shot from the edge of the box, Madueke gets the goal he deserves. Thiago Silva heads Mudryk’s corner back across goal and Madueke is there to nudge it home. Game over already unless the visitors get their act together quickly.

48′ – GOAL! CHELSEA 4-0 WEST HAM (JACKSON): How easy was that? Chalobah plays a ball up the middle from defence into the path of Madueke, who is clean through but squares it for Jackson to tap in to an empty net.

79′ – BOWEN OFF THE BAR… AGAIN: Bowen completes a hat-trick of hitting the bar. The Englishman finds some space in the box and tries to pick out the corner but it is deflected onto the bar.

80′ – GOAL! CHELSEA 5-0 WEST HAM (JACKSON): Jackson is found by Caicedo in acres of space and keeps his composure to pass it past Areola for 5-0. It’s initially ruled out for offside but the VAR overturns that decision, with Zouma playing the striker onside.

• Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League home games (D1 L1).
• West Ham have now conceded 70 Premier League goals this season; the most a David Moyes side has ever shipped in a single campaign.