COLE PALMER MAKES WEST HAM PAY AS CHELSEA ROMP KEEPS EUROPEAN HOPES ALIVE - 5 TALKING POINTS

Chelsea romped to victory against a dismal West Ham outfit at Stamford Bridge to keep their European hopes alive while piling the misery on Hammers boss David Moyes.

Cole Palmer broke the deadlock 15 minutes in with his 21st league goal of the season, and captain Conor Gallagher made it two around the half hour mark. It was three before the break when Noni Madueke turned home from close range, and the winger laid on a fourth for Nicolas Jackson moments after the restart.

West Ham had chances to get on the scoresheet, with Jarrod Bowen hitting the woodwork three times on his owni. The visitors were far too open at the back, though, and Jackson had the final word for Chelsea with his second and Chelsea's fifth.

Chelsea's win puts the pressure on Manchester United, who play on Monday, in the battle for sixth. For West Ham boss Moyes, though, it could be the end of the road after their dismal run extended to just one win in their last nine in the league.

Chelsea started the day in eighth, one place ahead of their opponents having played a game less. Both sides were after three points to boost their hopes of European qualification, and before the break it looked as though only one would still be in that position.

It took a while for either team to get a shot on the board, but the game opened up after Palmer latched on to a loose ball and beat Alphonse Areola. The visitors almost levelled things up instantly when Jarrod Bowen headed against the bar, but the hosts' ability to take their chances made the difference.

It was game over once Mauricio Pochettino's side added their third and fourth either side of the half-time break, and in the end it could have been more than five. Here are Mirror Football 's talking points from a comfortable Chelsea victory.

1. Palmer channeling Lampard

Who was your player of the match at Stamford Bridge? Let us know in the comments section

Fans of both of these teams will be familiar with the sight of a certain Frank Lampard arriving late on the box to finish off an attacking move, though it was a more common sight for those in the blue half of London. However you slice it, though, Palmer's opener was more than a little reminiscent of the man who managed Chelsea at the tail end of last season.

West Ham manager David Moyes has spoken about being close to landing Palmer over the summer. Indeed, had Lucas Paqueta's move to Manchester City not collapsed then we might have been seeing the Englishman on the other side of London.

Instead, though, we witnessed him scoring his 21st league goal of the season in the first half, though Erling Haaland's four goals in Saturday mean the Golden Boot may be out of reach. He was still a City player when West Ham won the reverse fixture against Chelsea in August, and one wonders whether he might have been able to make an imapct then too if he'd moved a little sooner.

2. Madueke setting the tempo

After the penalty drama in Chelsea's win against Everton, there were calls for Noni Madueke to show a little more maturity on the pitch. And, credit to the Chelsea winger, he has delivered on that front.

Only West Ham will know what they were doing when Chelsea's number 11 was left all alone for Chelsea's third. He showed plenty of calm and unselfishness early in the second half, though, rolling the ball across for Jackson when it would have been easy to go for glory himself.

He did his bit to help out at the back, too, with one particularly calm piece of tidying up at 4-0. If Pochettino wanted the winger to earn his keep, that's what has happened.

3. Thiago Silva gets the send-off he deserves

Ahead of kick-off, Thiago Silva's name rang round the stadium. The veteran has confirmed this season will be his last at Stamford Bridge, and he will bow out having served his team as well as might have been expected - if not better.

Kurt Zouma's Chelsea exit was made possible by Silva's longevity, and it won't have escaped the attentions of the home fans that he was out of luck in the first half. Both Chelsea goals inside the opening half hour came after the West Ham captain got in the way of an attack but saw the ball ricochet straight to an opponent in acres of space.

The Brazilian was given a standing ovation as he made way for Axel Disasi late on. There's no doubt hell be missed in these parts when he goes.

4. A welcome return for Nkunku

Chelsea have barely had a chance to see Christopher Nkunku this season, and there's no real expectation he'll pull up trees between now and the end of the season. The mere sight of him back on a football pitch was a welcome one, though, as evidenced by the warm cheers from the home fans.

Who knows what might have happened this season if the Frenchman had been available for more than the odd game here and there. Even in his short cameo today we saw the odd silky touch to please the home support - not to mention Pochettino.

The reminder of competition for a starting spot also appeared to bring out the best in Nicolas Jackson, who held his run well for his second of the game. Suddenly there's a bit more for Chelsea to be optimistic about.

5. West Ham's European dream fades and dies

Early in the game, as has been the case during plenty of their team's outings this term, West Ham supporters launched into a rendition of 'Champions of Europe, we know what we are. The Hammers weren't able to follow their Conference League success with a Europa League title this term,

By half-time, any hopes of another shot at Europe next season were over and done with. In order to stand any chance, they'd need to win their last two games, and they've only won once in the league since early March.

On the strength of this week, and other recent results, it's hard to see David Moyes lasting beyond this season. West Ham have a big call to make this summer.

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2024-05-05T14:58:35Z dg43tfdfdgfd