Whisper it quietly, but Chelsea might have turned a corner. Not for the first time this season those words have been uttered, but the 5-0 win over West Ham rounded off one of the best weeks of the season for Mauricio Pochettino's side.
It has become taboo now to suggest that the Blues might have started a new chapter, ridden of their early-season troubles and inconsistency. However, following up the 2-2 comeback draw against Aston Villa with a strong 2-0 derby win over Tottenham despite missing 14 players has provided reason for optimism late on this term.
The all-round competence and clinical edge on show against the Hammers at Stamford Bridge on Sunday took things a step further. It was the second time in the last three weeks that Chelsea had scored five or more at home, with at least two being scored in each of the last nine matches at SW6.
Their home form — and collapse from Manchester United in recent months — has opened up an opportunity to finish in the Europa League spots. Three games to go and it's all to play for.
Chelsea are starting to catch the eye outside of just their small steps up the table. Not just deemed to be Cole Palmer FC,goals from Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson helped them to three points and have been central to a brief turnaround that promises to be much more.
Without their games in hand the table looks a lot more promising than it has done for much of the year, and the atmosphere has momentarily taken on a feelgood, dare we say carefree, vibe. It's only one week, but it's a good one for Chelsea.
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