sport news Chelsea's five-star display gives Mauricio Pochettino hope over his future ... trends now

After so much incoherent mumbling, Chelsea are finally beginning to make a little sense. Not enough to trust them, but sufficient for Mauricio Pochettino to articulate a strong case for continued employment beyond this summer.

As ever, any talk of revivals ought to be weighed against the calamities that have followed each of their new dawns in this strangest of campaigns.

But there is also no doubt that Pochettino has orchestrated a reasonable upturn, with victory over Tottenham now followed by this exuberant demolition of another London rival.

In what was their fourth win in seven league games, Chelsea were excellent. There was no ambiguity around that and no suggestion either that this was a one-man effort.

Unlike a number of their high points this season, Cole Palmer wasn’t the sole agent of destruction. Sure, he was brilliant, which extends further than his latest goal – the 21st of his wonderous campaign to go with nine assists - but here he had company. Here, the load was shared. Here, the quality rotated and sparkled. Whisper it and then forget it, because less than a fortnight ago they were walloped 5-0 by Arsenal, but here they looked like a fine team.

Conor Gallagher was naturally among the best of them. Anyone within that boardroom who sees pure profit in his performances ought to be drummed out of west London – he is pure class and indispensable; a master of winning the ball back and one of the safest pairs of boots when they have it. His goal was extremely well taken.

Then you had Noni Madueke, delivering arguably his best showing of the season. He annihilated Emerson in the battle up Chelsea’s right flank, which saw a scruffy goal scored and an unselfish assist provided for Nicholas Jackson, whose own season is mirroring that of his club. This former lightning rod for Pochettino’s difficulties impressed against Spurs and got two in this mauling, which increased the momentum of Chelsea belated push for European qualification.

Now this is the tricky part – how do you contextualise a hiding when the victim is so awfully poor as the side served up by David Moyes at Stamford Bridge? They were rotten. Spineless. Gutless. For what he has brought to West Ham, we might fairly say that his tenure deserved a more spirited end, if these do indeed prove to be his final weeks at the club.

In that conversation, he was let down by this performance. Shamed by the indifference of it. If Julen Lopetegui was watching, he might well have incurred a few reservations about the character

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