Amid exit talk Pochettino insists Chelsea taken huge step

Sources Non-Power 5 irked by settlement plan

LONDON -- Mauricio Pochettino said that his team has taken a "massive step" in their development after Chelsea thrashed West Ham 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Chelsea have suffered only one defeat in their last 12 Premier League matches -- a run stretching back to early February -- as they aim to secure European football for next season.

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Cole Palmer opened the scoring for Chelsea in west London before Conor Gallagher and Noni Madueke put them 3-0 up before half-time.

Nicolas Jackson added two more after the interval to crank up the pressure on West Ham boss David Moyes, whose position as head coach has been under threat following a string of poor results.

"I think today was a great, great action of not only to see how the group starts to live and how it starts to feel between them. It always is a process that takes time," Pochettino told a news conference.

"You never know if it is going to take one month, six months or one year, but I think the most important thing [is] that they start to settle the principles to start to feel and live like a group of players that's creating all the links to compete because that is the reality.

"I'm so pleased for that because I think we are part of this process, helping them to grow and to be more mature and to improve in all the aspects.

"I think that is only the first step, massive step, but this is the step that we wanted to reach. From there now is only to evolve in other aspects with the possibility to go in a tactical evolution."

Chelsea, who endured a difficult first half of the season, have now won eight of their last 10 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge. Earlier this week, Pochettino called for "stupid rumours" about his Chelsea future to stop.

The Argentinian coach added that his team has recovered from their slow start to the point where they are now "growing up very fast."

"When the team is young and with all the parts you need to put all together and to start to work into everyone, find their space and start to feel really confident," the Chelsea boss said.

"That is the most difficult thing and [it] always take time. Now I think, and I told you I think a few weeks ago, I say I am so happy because I think we are so close to be in that position. That is first step that after Tottenham and I told you in the way that we compete was fantastic.

"And then to keep this momentum and I think the team is growing up very fast now because that is the standard, the minimum standard that we need if we want to compete in this league."

Meanwhile, West Ham boss Moyes said that his players need to share some of the responsibility for the defeat.

"We've now had two games looking away, we've conceded five in the games," Moyes said.

"And look, the manager will always take the responsibility. That's what happens is when you do this job because you have to prepare them and get them right and set them up [but] somewhere along the line the players have to take responsibility of doing the jobs and being hard to play against and being aggressive and competitive. And I question if we were all that in the first half."

West Ham have now conceded 70 goals this season -- the most a team managed by David Moyes has ever shipped in a Premier League campaign.

Asked for the reasons behind some of the heavy defeats his team has suffered this season, Moyes said: "[Losing] Declan Rice.

"You've got the best midfield player in the country protecting, making sure that the moments at times probably limiting 50% of maybe the attacks and the moments. You get that, then it makes you a much better defensive team. We've lacked protection in front of the back four."

Sunday's result saw Chelsea move to within two points of sixth-placed Newcastle in the Premier League table and above Manchester United on goal difference ahead of their game against Crystal Palace on Monday.