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.

READ MORE: How Chelsea can qualify for the Europa League with Man United and Newcastle outcome explained

READ MORE: Chelsea final three Premier League fixtures compared to Newcastle and Man United after West Ham

Here, football.london has rounded up the wider reaction to showing West Ham no mercy.

The Guardian

Jacob Steinberg writes: "European football is on the cards after Chelsea cruised through their second ­London derby in the space of three days and, for all the doubts hanging over Pochettino’s future, it would surely go down as an act of extraordinary self-sabotage if the Argentinian’s bosses make a change this summer.

"The main takeaway from this 5-0 win over a supine West Ham is that something is beginning to stir at Stamford Bridge. Instead of ­crumbling after last month’s 5-0 defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea have responded by dominating Aston Villa, Tottenham and West Ham.

"Far from shrinking, these young ­players are starting to grow and mature. Above all, they are starting to ­resemble a proper team and, after a season so full of turbulence, the wisest thing that Chelsea’s owners can do now is accept that Pochettino is the man to bring coherence to their £1bn project."

He added that, "Chelsea, by contrast, are playing for their manager. Displaying the intensity that characterises a Pochettino team in full flow, they led 2-0 when Zouma’s attempt to cut out Palmer’s pass sent the ball spinning to Conor Gallagher, who charged in to spank a brutal volley past Areola."

The Telegraph

Matt Law says: "The frustration for Chelsea will be there are only three more games of the season remaining, but finally there are signs of a team emerging from all the chaos.

"It may yet be enough for Chelsea to snatch European qualification, but the bigger picture might be even more encouraging if the club’s owners do not decide to rip everything up for a third successive summer.

"Chelsea may have been battered by Arsenal, but the last four home games should really have shown co-owners Behdad Eghbali, Todd Boehly and Jose E Feliciano that head coach Mauricio Pochettino is on to something."

He continued: "The concern remains, of course, that Chelsea could sell Gallagher and Chalobah and dispense with Pochettino this summer which would eradicate the recent signs of progress.

"Quite simply, that would be madness and it remains to be seen whether or not European qualification would offer guarantees in terms of Pochettino’s future with Chelsea now seventh in the table."

The Evening Standard

Nizaar Kinsella writes: "Chelsea are now playing their best football of the season, and the question is whether this will strengthen Mauricio Pochettino’s position as manager. After the 5-0 defeat at Arsenal, the Argentine faced renewed conversations about his long-term suitability for the role at Stamford Bridge"

He added: "Whisper it quietly, but Stamford Bridge is becoming a fortress again. Chelsea have not lost at home since the 4-2 defeat to Wolves in February.

"They’ve now won nine of their last 11 league matches at home and only lost once in 19 matches in all competitions. The only problem is two of Chelsea’s last three games are away at Nottingham Forest and Brighton, before a home match against Bournemouth rounds off the season.

The Athletic

Liam Twomey writes: "Development is never linear and rarely predictable. Chelsea have lived that reality throughout this season, in the wildly fluctuating form of individual players and in the maddening inconsistency of what, on many matchdays, has been the Premier League’s youngest team.

"Some moments, however, are immediately identifiable in the maturation process — for example, the sequence that led to the fourth goal in Sunday’s 5-0 rout of West Ham United at Stamford Bridge." He added: "It has not always been clear what Pochettino is trying to build at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea look much more like a team in May than they did last August.

"That is tangible progress he can point to when making the case to the club’s ownership and sporting leadership that he deserves more time as the head of this lavishly funded project. If results continue to follow in what remains of the Premier League season, he may well have the club’s return to European football in his favour too."