Chelsea 5-0 West Ham: 3 Blues talking points

Confident swagger on display

There was this aura oozing from the Chels' on Sunday, more specifically in that first half. Not even just the players - no, I’m also going to include the gaffer! It was champagne football. It's even hard to pinpoint a clear man of the match because they were THAT good. Let’s start off with one player that was getting so much slack recently.

Following the penalty drama in Chelsea's victory against Everton, there were calls for Noni Madueke to demonstrate a bit more maturity on the field. And, credit to the Chelsea winger, he has indeed stepped up in that regard. Only West Ham will understand their decision to leave Chelsea's number 11 completely unmarked for Chelsea's third goal. However, Madueke displayed plenty of composure and selflessness early in the second half, opting to pass the ball across for Jackson instead of going for glory himself, despite the opportunity. He also contributed defensively, showcasing calmness in one particularly crucial moment at 4-0. If Pochettino aimed for the winger to prove his worth, Madueke has certainly delivered.

The entire backline also deserves their props for silencing Jarod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, and perhaps Mohamed Kudus to an extent, but the Ghanaian was by far the Hammers' most threatening player despite Bowen hitting the woodwork three times. Thiago Silva showed his leadership once again, Benoit Badiashile showcased why he deserves to start, and Chalobah once again proved why he belongs to the club. Marc Cucurella once again was fantastic, whether it was inverting to support Caicedo or running back to his position at LB to defend that flank. The Blues' faithful are beginning to recognize his top form as they continue to chant his name throughout the match once again.

Cole Palmer is back again with the goods, scoring the first goal to kickstart the action. Nicolas Jackson once again showcasing his potential with two goals and an assist to his name. Moises Caicedo is starting to resemble the Caicedo that Chelsea invested heavily in, which isn’t surprising because he’s no longer tasked with covering the entire pitch on his own. Gallagher was unlucky to only score one but done his job. Lastly, huge credit goes to Mauricio Pochettino for making this tactical change, which could potentially save CFC’s season with three games remaining. COYB!