Chelsea 5-0 West Ham: Blues rediscover their scoring touch to reignite top-four hopes
Chelsea produced an emphatic attacking performance to thrash West Ham 5-0 and raise their hopes of securing European football.
After a difficult few weeks, Chelsea responded in style at Stamford Bridge with a comprehensive victory over their London rivals. Conor Gallagher, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz and Joao Felix were all on target as Chelsea moved up to seventh in the Premier League.
The win was Chelsea's second in a row in the Premier League, and it was their biggest since beating Bournemouth 4-0 in October. It was also their first clean sheet in the league since beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in January.
Chelsea now have a four-point cushion over Tottenham Hotspur in eighth place. They are also just three points behind Manchester United in fifth, and with a game in hand on the Red Devils.
Chelsea's victory was built on a strong defensive performance. They were rarely troubled by West Ham, who had just one shot on target all game. Chelsea also had the better chances in the game, and they should have won by an even bigger margin.
Gallagher opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 26th minute with a fine finish from the edge of the area. Silva doubled the lead in the 36th minute with a header from a Mason Mount corner.
Havertz made it 3-0 in the 48th minute with a close-range finish. Felix then added a fourth in the 58th minute with a neat finish from the edge of the area.
Chelsea continued to create chances in the second half, and they were rewarded with a fifth goal in the 82nd minute. Christian Pulisic was the provider, crossing for Havertz to head home his second of the game.
The win will give Chelsea a huge boost ahead of their upcoming fixtures. They face Tottenham at home in the league next weekend, before taking on Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
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