Chelsea 5-0 West Ham: Massive win for the blues.

Chelsea moved up to seventh in the Premier League table after another memorable London derby win at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

Due to their team’s string of losses this week, Villa supporters have suffered more than most. They had high hopes and expectations heading into their first-leg Europa Conference League semi-final matchup with Olympiakos. After the 4-2 loss at home, there was shock, and now they will be much more miserable due to the loss to Brighton.

Villa would have qualified for the Champions League the next season and gained momentum going into their second-leg rematch in Greece with three points. In order to ensure that his team doesn’t lose the opportunity to have this season be remembered, Emery will need to rally his players for one final drive.

With Trevoh Chalobah switching to right-back and Alfie Gilchrist coming on as a substitute, Pochettino made just one alteration to his starting lineup, bringing Thiago Silva back to the center of the defense.

Chelsea line-up formation

The fact that Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto, Christopher Nkunku, and Raheem Sterling were all back in the 20-man roster gave the Blues even more encouragement. Chelsea lined up defensively in a classic 4-2-3-1 formation once more, but when they had the ball, left-back Marc Cucurella effectively moved inside into a deep-lying midfield role, freeing up Gallagher to advance more forward.

There wasn’t much goalmouth action in the first fifteen minutes until Jackson was released by a quick free-kick, forcing Alphonse Areola to make a near-post save. Shortly after, Areola had to stop a dangerous cross from Thiago Silva.

Opening goal for Chelsea

Chelsea’s opening goal came from a cross made by Madueke, who was becoming more and more of an influence on the game. When the ball fell back to Palmer 12 yards away, his left-footed strike was too strong for the diving Areola as it tucked into the corner. The winger’s delivery from the right saw Jackson’s attempt blocked.

Jarrod Bowen’s header from a corner gave West Ham a near-instant chance to equalize, but the Blues quickly restored their lead and created other opportunities, with Madueke, Chalobah, Jackson, and Palmer all going close to scoring. The second goal eventually came just before the half-hour mark. Madueke was found on the edge of the penalty area by Palmer with a clever pass, and after he was challenged, Gallagher used his right foot to volley the ball into the bottom corner.

Soon after, from inside the six-yard box, Gallagher volleyed Palmer’s cross from the right on to the bar, creating a chance for a fourth. We were really worth the 3-0 lead at the break, even if West Ham and Bowen hit the woodwork once more shortly before the break. After the restart, West Ham supporters would have expected a response, but the Blues added more suffering.

Jackson doubled up for Chelsea

Three minutes into the second half, a sophisticated Chalobah ball forward set Madueke free. With the goalkeeper one-on-one, the goalkeeper graciously rolled the ball to Jackson, who finished with an easy tap-in for his 15th goal of the year across all competitions.

Emerson’s close-range strike that went over the bar on minute 53 should have given West Ham a chance to equalize, and James Ward-Prowse’s signature free kick immediately after pushed Djordje Petrovic into a brilliant save. At 11 minutes left, Bowen struck the crossbar for the third time, and a few minutes later, for the fifth time, adding insult to injury to his already frustrating afternoon.

VAR reviews final goal for Chelsea

Jackson calmly finished after breaking the offside trap with a through-ball from Moises Caicedo. The offside flag was raised, but following a VAR review, the call was overturned, giving Jackson his 16th goal of the year across all competitions. After Chelsea’s victory, we are now tied with Manchester United at 54 points, and we have jumped the Red Devils into seventh place ahead of their match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Next games for Chelsea

After beating Burnley 4-1 yesterday, Newcastle United is still in sixth place with 56 points as the Blues look to finish in the European zone with three games remaining. Chelsea’s next away game is at Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday, May 15, followed by a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The season will then end on Sunday, May 19, when we host Bournemouth back to Stamford Bridge. Stay tuned for more.