Full-time: Chelsea 5-0 West Ham Unitedpublished at 15:59 5 May
15:59 5 May
Chelsea strengthened their chances of securing European football next season, cruising to victory against West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
It took just 15 minutes for Chelsea to get their noses in front with Cole Palmer reacting quickest to meet a loose ball in the West Ham box.
West Ham almost hit back immediately when Jarrod Bowen's header crashed back off the crossbar, but it was one-way traffic from then on.
Chelsea doubled their lead on the half-hour mark through Conor Gallagher before Noni Madueke headed in the third six minutes later.
Nicolas Jackson struck twice in the second half to round off a wholly positive afternoon for the Blues.
With just three games left to play, Chelsea's season seems to be heading for a strong finish as they have climbed up to seventh and sit just two points shy of sixth-placed Newcastle, while West Ham, who have two games remaining, stay ninth.
Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?
Chelsea v West Ham: Sutton's predictionspublished at 11:04 5 May
11:04 5 May
Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.
For this weekend's matches, he takes on Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
The more I see and read about David Moyes' situation at West Ham, the more I am expecting them to shake hands and part company at the end of the season... and then they will bring him back a few months later when they are struggling.
I don't think Moyes has got enough credit for the overall job he has done at the Hammers, but with only one win in their past eight league games, their current form is not great.
This is Chelsea's second London derby of the week, and another big game for them in the battle for sixth and seventh spot. It is going to be close, but I fancy them to edge it.
Chelsea v West Ham: Pick of the statspublished at 17:11 3 May
17:11 3 May
Here are the key facts and figures before Sunday's game between Chelsea and West Ham in the Premier League.
Chelsea have lost just one of their past 17 home league games against West Ham United (W12 D4), a 1-0 defeat in November 2019 under Frank Lampard.
West Ham are looking to record just their third ever Premier League double over Chelsea after doing so in 2002-03 and 2019-20.
Chelsea have won just one of their past 13 Premier League matches played on Sundays (D5 L7), a 3-2 win over Brighton in December this season.
West Ham have gone 15 Premier League games without a clean sheet - last having a longer run without a shutout in the top flight between March and November 2008 (24 games).
Cole Palmer has scored or assisted against 13 different Premier League opponents this season for Chelsea and he is yet to face West Ham. Only six different players have scored or assisted against 14 different teams in a Premier League season for the Blues - most recently Eden Hazard in 2018-19 (15).
Michail Antonio currently has 99 goals and assists combined in the Premier League for West Ham (67 goals, 32 assists). He could become the first ever Hammers player to get 100 involvements in the competition. He has four goals in his past seven league appearances, as many as in his previous 26 combined.
Moyes on Steidten, spending cap and Pochettinopublished at 14:54 3 May
14:54 3 May
Josh Lobley BBC Sport Researcher
David Moyes has been speaking to the media before West Ham's match at Chelsea on Sunday.
Here are the main lines from his news conference:
On West Ham technical director Tim Steidten taking a step back from the first team: "We don't want any distractions - we keep our eye on the ball. Tim has his job to do and I have mine. We have three games to play and we want to keep focused."
He respects the good form opponents Chelsea are in: "We're going to have to play well to get a result against them. There are lots of tough stadiums to go to, and Stamford Bridge has always been one of those. We'll go there and do everything we can to get three points."
On Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino: "Mauricio is one of the finest managers there is. I don't need to talk about him because he's managed at the top clubs and will continue to do that. Chelsea should be thankful they have a top manager. He has a good up-and-coming team, who given time will improve as they go along."
On whether he still has the hunger to take West Ham forward: "Absolutely. I'm nearly embarrassed for you that you asked me that. I love football - I'm a football nut. I go to games, I watch games, I love it. I really do.
When asked if he will be at West Ham next season: "I said to everybody that we'll make a decision at the end of the season."
On the proposed Premier League spending cap: "I always hoped that money wouldn't be the biggest thing in football. When Leicester won the league, that was a good example of that, and you want football to give teams a chance. I hope there is a cap, that there is something that controls spending. I'm not an expert about it but as a football man I'd like all teams to be able to strive for success."
The delicate Moyes-Steidten balancepublished at 08:42 3 May
08:42 3 May
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The news West Ham's technical director Tim Steidten has been barred from the first team by manager David Moyes is not a good look.
Steidten is leading the hunt for a new manager, which has seen the Hammers linked with Julen Lopetegui, Paulo Fonseca and Ruben Amorim in recent days. Wolves boss Gary O'Neil - a former West Ham player - has also been mentioned.
Given he still has a job and is not due to have his own talks about the future with the West Ham hierarchy until after the season has ended, Moyes has concluded it is potentially disruptive to have Steidten around.
This is understandable - but it hardly smacks of a harmonious situation.
West Ham do still have - albeit very slim - a chance of qualifying for Europe for a fourth successive season. And if they hold on to their present ninth position, it would represent their joint-seventh highest finish in almost 40 years.
However, many fans have been critical of the style of play under Moyes and it seems inevitable he will leave London Stadium at the end of the season.
Gossip: Hammers monitor winger Silva published at 07:23 3 May
07:23 3 May
West Ham, Brighton, Fulham and Benfica are monitoring Vitoria de Guimaraes and Portugal winger Jota Silva, who has a £17m release clause. (Rudy Galetti), external
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten has been barred from the first-team dressing room as he hunts a replacement for manager David Moyes. (Standard), external
Gossip: Key trio could leave West Hampublished at 07:40 2 May
07:40 2 May
West Ham are expecting 23-year-old Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus, Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 26, and Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez, 26, to push for moves away from the club this summer. (Football Insider), external
'You'd rather just deal with the referee on the day' - Antonio on VARpublished at 16:59 1 May
16:59 1 May
West Ham striker Michail Antonio wants VAR to be removed from the Premier League, as the panel on the Footballer's Football Podcast reflected on another officiating talking-point in Chelsea's draw with Aston Villa last weekend.
Chelsea had what would have been a late winner at Villa Park ruled out after the video assistant referee recommended a review of the on-field decision to allow the goal.
Antonio said: "I think VAR needs to be binned. In Sweden, they've voted against VAR because they've seen how it's been run in the Premier League and don't want a part of it. They should do a vote to get rid of VAR [in the Premier League].
"I think the clubs would get rid [in a vote]. I think the clubs regret bringing it in, there's no positives on it.
"You'd rather just deal with the referee on the day. There's been more arguments and things going wrong with VAR than when it was just referees."
Antonio also previewed West Ham's match against Chelsea on Sunday, adding: "You don't know what team is going to turn up when it comes to Chelsea. They have quality players but they are hot and cold right now. I'm just hoping they will be cold, and we come away with a nice win and I can get a couple [of goals]."
Remembering Marc-Vivien Foepublished at 12:54 1 May
12:54 1 May
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Today would have been Marc-Vivien Foe's 49th birthday.
It barely seems credible that it is almost 21 years since his death from a heart condition when he was playing for Cameroon at the Confederations Cup in 2003.
Foe was West Ham's record signing when he joined the club in 1999, on the same day as Paolo di Canio.
The midfielder played 48 games for the Hammers before moving to Lyon and then on loan to Manchester City in the summer of 2002.
He score nine goals in 38 games for City that season and would probably have made a permanent switch to Manchester had he not tragically died in June 2003.
His death at the age of 28 shocked the world, although sadly it took another few years before the issue of potentially fatal heart problems among supposedly super-fit professional athletes started to be properly investigated fully.
Officials 'not here to try to take goals away if we don't need to'published at 12:11 1 May
12:11 1 May
Image source, Getty Images
Referees' chief Howard Webb believes match official Tony Harrington was right to rule out Max Kilman's late goal in Wolves' 2-1 defeat by West Ham last month.
The goal was initially awarded on-field by the referee before VAR reviewed the incident and saw that Tawanda Chirewa was stood in an offside position and impacting Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski's line of sight.
Hartington overturned his decision having seen the incident again, but Wolves boss Gary O'Neil called it "possibly the worst decision I have ever seen" and was subsequently charged by the FA and since received a touchline ban.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Mic'd Up programme, Webb said: "You can see there on the footage that [Chirewa] is really close proximity to Fabianski right in front of him and in an offside position.
"He positions himself there from the corner but doesn't get back into an onside position when Kilman heads the ball forward. He remains offside and he's therefore penalised for that offence."
The Key Match Incidents panel - the five-person independent committee which reviews all 'key' decisions made by Premier League referees and VAR after each round of matches - agreed unanimously with the officials' decision of offside.
"We're certainly not here to try to take goals away if we don't need to, but we are pretty consistent here and all over the world in terms of how we judge these types of situations," Webb added.
"It is in line with the way the laws of the game are applied all over the world. If you stay in that offside position right in front of the goalkeeper, you're going to have an impact. And most goalkeeping people I've spoken to at least expect this to be to be penalised."
Gossip: Hammers face competition to appoint Fonseca as managerpublished at 07:43 1 May
07:43 1 May
West Ham will face competition from AC Milan for Lille manager Paulo Fonseca, with the 51-year-old seen as a potential replacement for Hammers boss David Moyes. (i Sport), external
Scotsman Moyes, 61, has attracted interest from Spartak Moscow amid uncertainty over his future at the Hammers. (Mail), external
English midfielder Callum O'Hare, 25, who is a target for Aston Villa and West Ham, has told Coventry City he will leave the club on a free transfer this summer. (Football Insider), external
Gossip: West Ham still looking at Lopeteguipublished at 07:29 30 April
07:29 30 April
West Ham's interest in former Spain manager Julen Lopetegui has been reignited, after they learned AC Milan are wavering over whether to appoint him as a replacement for Stefano Pioli. (Guardian), external
The Hammers are also keen to sign 25-year old Coventry City winger Callum O'Hare and 23-year-old Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves this summer. (Guardian), external
Premier League clubs vote to consider spending cappublished at 18:00 29 April
18:00 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
Premier League clubs have voted in favour of adopting an anchoring economic model, which will be linked to the earnings of the bottom club (tv and prize money).
The proposed system would operate like a spending cap.
The next stage is final analysis and drafting of rules, which will potentially be put to clubs at an AGM in June.
The model will be presented to clubs and - should clubs vote in favour then - it will replace the Profit and Sustainability Rules currently in place, from the 2025-26 season onwards.
Any new element of the financial system would come in shadow next season, to fully replace PSR in 2025-26.
“We will obviously wait to see further details of these specific proposals, but we have always been clear that we would oppose any measure that would place a ‘hard’ cap on player wages," said the PFA
“There is an established process in place to ensure that proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, have to be properly consulted on.”
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions.
Neil asked: Do you think it is time for David Moyes to move on, and who do you think should replace him if he does? Personally think it is time, as four wins in 2024 just is not good enough with our squad which he refuses to use.
Simon replied: Well, there are a lot of names being linked with the job and it is also clear a lot of fans are not having David Moyes, no matter what he has done for the club.
I can see both sides of the argument. Three successive European campaigns is unprecedented for West Ham. Top 10 Premier League finishes, which still looks likely, are not ‘the norm’. But I see fans want more attractive football.
My issue with that is, do West Ham have the resource to build the kind of squad fans want? They have attractive players, but where is the back-up when those players are either injured or not playing well? The difference between a club like West Ham and Manchester City is that City can spend £50m on a player then stick them on the bench. West Ham can’t do that. Brighton are struggling for the same reason this season.
I am not going to say ‘be careful what you wish for’ because no-one can look into the future. But putting together football teams is not as simple as it appears sometimes. The young lads have done well at Under-18 and Under-21 level but if they were good enough, they would be playing.
Your views on Saturday's gamepublished at 12:05 29 April
12:05 29 April
We asked for your views on Saturday's match between West Ham United and Liverpool.
Here are some of your answers:
West Ham fans
Harry: I'll take a draw. We should have scored maybe two or three goals in the first half, but deserved the opener through a great header by Bowen. A terrible start to the second half, conceding two goals within 20 minutes, but we made up for it with a good header by Antonio. The result keeps us in the talk for Europe.
Steve: As a team, we drop too far back and invite teams to attack us. Bowen and Kudus were the outstanding performers, in my opinion, for the Hammers but our defence was very shaky again. It was just a good job that Liverpool didn’t take their chances. It is time for Moyes to go - he has taken us as far as he can and his tactics have had their day.
John: It wasn’t a bad performance, but it was typical of the season. We just can’t seem to hang on to a lead. We have also conceded more goals than anyone outside the bottom three. For a pragmatic manager, that is poor. David Moyes has made mistakes, but it has been with a very thin squad. I'm on the fence.
Mo: Well done, Hammers. We would have gladly taken 2-2, if offered that result before the match. It shows what we can do, with disciplined defensive organisation. European qualification is still a possibility. We are not a rich club but we have brought in good players, astutely, recently. Please, please, please stay Moyes!
Liverpool fans
Seth: The team look out of energy, out of ideas, and out of any sort of cutting edge. There are too many big players missing in action, who are not standing up to be counted. Our inability to find the net and kill off games when we are in the ascendancy, coupled with a very leaky defence, meant the possible quadruple fizzled out meekly in a matter of weeks.
Mike: Liverpool have lost the plot and will be lucky to finish third in the Premier League this season. They are far too inconsistent and Klopp announcing his departure was not the wisest of moves. That alone will have affected some of the player's thoughts, especially as to where they will stand when he leaves.
Conor: I can't remember the last convincing win Liverpool had. It feels like they were only in a title race through sheer luck in matches. Klopp is maybe leaving at the right time because the club looks like it needs fresh energy at this point.
Ian: It is such a shame that Klopp may be remembered by some for his last few months and not the great work he has done over the years. The spat with Salah appears to be more fuelled by him not starting and being substituted more often, but he must score to warrant starting! Since his injury, he has not been at his best. Maturity is required by all.
'Taylor was just trying to rectify the mistake he made'published at 08:34 29 April
08:34 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
Former Premier League strikers Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have been discussing the "very strange" incident between goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and forward Cody Gakpo in the 2-2 draw between West Ham United and Liverpool on Match of the Day.
Wright gave his opinion on referee Anthony Taylor's decision: "I thought the referee had an absolute nightmare. The referee is running off, he is saying to play on, he stops, he actually tells the goalkeeper to get up and he says it a couple of times.
"Then Alphonse Areola finally gets up, the referee runs off and says to play on, and Anthony Taylor turns his back to the players. I think Gakpo should have just gone and finished that off. He just should have gone and finished it.
"But then he blows the whistle - I don't know what's happening at that point, to be honest. It is like: what is going on?"
Shearer added: "When the goalkeeper Areola has collided with the post, that is when the referee should've stopped the play and blown the whistle.
"He hasn't blown the whistle, which is an error, so then Gakpo has then tried to finish it.
"But then the referee actually calls the physios and doctors on - they are not even ready! They don't even think that Areola is injured - he is not injured.
"Anthony Taylor was just trying to rectify the mistake that he had made. It was a very messy situation caused by the referee."
Analysis: West Ham 2-2 Liverpoolpublished at 15:41 27 April
15:41 27 April
Jess Anderson BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
West Ham have won only one of their past nine home league games and suffered a heavy defeat by Crystal Palace last time out, their second consecutive loss.
But the return of Jarrod Bowen, who missed last week's match with a back injury, proved crucial on Saturday against Liverpool with the winger heading home from the middle of a crowded area before setting up Michail Antonio's equaliser.
His 16 top-flight goals this season will surely have increased his hopes of going to the Euro 2024, with England manager Gareth Southgate watching on in London.
Eighth in the table European football remains in the Hammers' grasp.
Despite that success under David Moyes, speculation around the Hammers boss has once again emerged this week, with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim reportedly in London to discuss replacing the Scot, although the Portuguese said on Saturday the talks were "a mistake".
