Premier League
Chelsea Thrashes West Ham To Stay On Track For Europe
Chelsea put on a spectacular performance as they cruised to a 5-0 victory over West Ham United at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer stole the show by equaling the record for the most goals scored at Stamford Bridge in a single Premier League season, finding the net for the 16th time at home.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side showed their attacking skills, scoring 24 goals in their last seven games at Stamford Bridge, setting the stage for another crucial London derby.
The match started with high intensity as West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen’s header hit the crossbar early on, but it was Chelsea who took control. Chelsea broke the deadlock in on the quarter-hour mark as Alphonse Areola’s efforts were in vain to prevent Palmer’s close-range shot from scoring.
Conor Gallagher extended Chelsea’s lead with a clinical volley, followed by Thiago Silva’s header finding Noni Madueke to make it 3-0 before halftime. The Blues continued their dominance in the second half, with Nicolas Jackson adding to the scoreline just three minutes after the restart.
Despite West Ham’s efforts to get back into the game, Chelsea’s solid defense and efficient attacking play proved too much for the visitors. Emerson Palmieri and James Ward-Prowse came close to scoring for West Ham, but Chelsea’s goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović made crucial saves to maintain the clean sheet.
Jackson capitalized on a counterattack to seal the victory for Chelsea, leaving West Ham’s European ambitions hanging by a thread.
Chelsea’s impressive performance secured their seventh win in eight home Premier League games, moving them to seventh in the table and just two points behind sixth-placed Newcastle United. As for West Ham, the defeat raises more questions about the future of manager David Moyes, as their European aspirations take a hit.
