Chelsea 5-0 West Ham: David Moyes' position under further scrutiny ...
Chelsea produced a scintillating attacking performance to thrash West Ham 5-0 and raise further questions about David Moyes' future at the club.
This week, the Hammers opened talks with out-of-work Julen Lopetegui about taking over from Moyes when the Scot's contract expires in June - and if he was looking for a show of support from his players at Stamford Bridge, it never materialised.
Rejuvenated Chelsea were rampant as they racked up a second convincing home win in three days, and five goals barely flattered them.
How the teams lined up | Match statsPremier League table | Watch free Premier League highlightsGet Sky Sports | Stream Sky Sports with NOWHow to book Fury v Usyk on Sky Sports Box OfficeCole Palmer notched a 21st league goal of the season when he powered home the first inside 15 minutes, with Conor Gallagher and star-man Noni Madueke wrapping up victory before half-time.
West Ham did hit the bar twice through Jarrod Bowen in the first half but were wretched defensively, and were labelled "embarrassing" by Sky Sports' Clinton Morrison at the break.
"West Ham are on the beach," he said. "It's embarrassing the way they are playing. They aren't even making a challenge. They aren't doing anything. It looks like they have just downed tools.
"It's nowhere near good enough. I don't care what anyone says, you've still got to keep going until the end of the season."
Things went from bad to worse as the Hammers were caught out yet again two minutes into the second period when Madueke squared for Nicolas Jackson to add a fourth.
Jackson doubled his tally from yet another Chelsea break 10 minutes from time when a VAR check overruled an initial offside flag against the Senegal striker, in one final painful moment of a miserable afternoon for Moyes and West Ham, as they shipped five for the second time in three games.
The handsome victory moves Chelsea above Manchester United in the Premier League table - and very much in contention for qualification for Europe.
How Chelsea dismantled woeful West HamBoth Moyes and Mauricio Pochettino came into Sunday's game with question marks over their futures.
Despite that, the form of the respective clubs could not have been more contrasting - and it showed once Palmer rifled in the opener when Madueke's cross deflected into his path.
West Ham had started the better until that point and were inches from an instant equaliser when Djordje Petrovic's weak punch was turned onto the bar by Bowen.
Image: Nicolas Jackson moved up to 13 league goals for the season after his second-half double
Chelsea took control from then though, and cut the Hammers apart at will. A second felt inevitable, and it came when Gallagher's similarly powerful finish beat Areola after Madueke's mis-control in the box.
The game was as good as over before the break when Madueke, who gave Emerson a torrid time from the first whistle, tapped home a third after Thiago Silva nodded a corner into his path.
Team news:
Chelsea welcomed back a number of fit-again players to the bench, but changed only Thiago Silva, who came in for Axel Disasi. David Moyes named an unchanged West Ham team from the side that drew with Liverpool last weekend.Moyes resisted the urger to make sweeping half-time changes and introduced only James Ward-Prowse for Edson Alvarez at the break, though his hopes of a comeback were in tatters within minutes.
A straight ball over the top from Trevoh Chalobah saw Madueke beat Emerson again, and he squared to give Jackson a simple finish.
Image: Cole Palmer moved back to within four goals of Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race
Bowen, who had already hit the bar again before the break, soon made it a hat-trick of near misses when his knuckle-ball smashed the woodwork. He was then denied a consolation again when his fine free-kick was turned over by the fingertips of Petrovic.
Chelsea continued their assault on the West Ham defence as Palmer played Mykhailo Mudryk in behind with a sumptuous pass, but Areola spared his side any more misery with a smart reaction save.
There was still time for things to get worse, though. First Lucas Paqueta was forced off injured before Moises Caicedo's through ball put Jackson in one-on-one, and though the offside flag initially denied him a second a VAR check ruled him just ahead of the last man.
Most of the West Ham supporters had long gone by that point, having booed their side off at half-time, with the recriminations after conceding five goals for the fourth time this season already underway.
Player ratings:
Chelsea: Petrovic (7), Chalobah (7), Silva (7), Badiashile (7), Cucurella (7), Caicedo (8), Gallagher (8), Madueke (9), Palmer (8), Mudryk (6), Jackson (8).
Subs: Casadei (6), Nkunku (6), Disasi, Gusto, Gilchrist (n/a).
West Ham: Areola (5), Coufal (4), Zouma (4), Ogbonna (3), Emerson (2), Soucek (5), Alvarez (4), Bowen (7), Kudus (6), Paqueta (5), Antonio (5).
Subs: Ward-Prowse (6), Ings (5), Cresswell (6).
Player of the Match: Noni Madueke.
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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino told Sky Sports:
"I'm really pleased. I'm so happy for the players and the staff, they deserve this feeling. To come back a few games after the Tottenham game, they deserve full credit.
"It was a brilliant game. The game was amazing, the attitude, the capacity to compete, after Thursday I was so happy how we competed and then we have players who can create chances and score goals.
"I still wasn't relaxed, I wanted to keep the clean sheet because it's important not to concede goals until the end. We defended well, we had some luck, but it was important not only to win the game but get that clean sheet.
"It's amazing to have kids involved from the academy, but we need to have the squad fit and we recovered six players today from Thursday, and it's important to be competitive in all the areas with players who can fight for their places.
"Last season was tough for everyone, so to turn the feelings and performances around is not easy. You need time and to trust in the process. We're proud that we've been recovering the good feeling at Stamford Bridge, that was one of our objectives."
Moyes: I'm sorry to the fans, I feel bad for themPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
West Ham manager David Moyes told Sky Sports:
"You need a bit of mental toughness when you come to these places, you need to show you can stand up and deal with it. But at the moment we're not doing that, we've had too many games where we haven't shown toughness, leadership or taken ownership of the performance.
"I'm the manager, I take ownership, but some of the players have to do that too. I feel bad for the fans, I don't normally have teams who come and get beaten like this.
"But we're lacking some of the ingredients - mental toughness, leadership to not get hammered like we have been several times. I can only say I'm really sorry for the way the game went."
West Ham boss David Moyes had not won a Premier League away game at Stamford Bridge in 18 attempts - but this was surely the most miserable of all for the veteran manager.
He cut a dispirited figure in the away dugout for much of the game, and barely appeared on the touchline for most of the second half.
Chelsea have three Premier League matches remaining. They travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday May 11, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 5.30pm. Then they visit Brighton on Wednesday May 15, kick-off 7.45pm, before finishing the season at home to Bournemouth on Sunday May 19, kick-off 4pm.
West Ham host Luton on May 11, kick-off 3pm, and before heading to title-chasing Manchester City on May 19, kick-off 4pm.
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