EFL: West Ham reach the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup as they confidently beat Chelsea

Crowd disturbances between rival fans marred the conclusion of West Ham's EFL Cup fourth-round victory over Chelsea at London Stadium. Plastic bottles and seats were thrown towards the end of the match as hundreds of fans were involved in ugly scenes. The flash points were a blot on what had been an entertaining night on the pitch as a much-changed Chelsea side were beaten by a cohesive and intense West Ham. A superb Cheikhou Kouyate header before the break and an 18-yard Edimilson Fernandes strike a few minutes into the second half secured West Ham's place in the last eight. Gary Cahill swept home from close range in injury time, but it was only a consolation at the end of another difficult evening off the pitch for the Hammers. Trouble stirs once again Security was boosted for the high-risk derby and an alcohol ban imposed as part of a "robust policing plan" aimed at minimising crowd trouble, with West Ham's new home dogged by disturbances this season. Prior to this tie there had been nine arrests outside the stadium and 23 banning orders issued by West Ham in what has been a traumatic start to life in the former Olympic Stadium. This match, with Chelsea allocated more than 5,000 tickets, was the biggest test yet to the police and stewards but once again trouble stirred. An ugly atmosphere seemed to have been brewing throughout the match and as the game neared the end, riot police were deployed to maintain order as home and away fans came together in a section of the stadium concourse. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said he did not notice the disturbance but added that the club was "totally against it". In a statement, West Ham said fans found to have "acted improperly" would be banned for life from attending West Ham games. "West Ham United and London Stadium partners unreservedly condemn the behaviour of individuals involved in incidents during the fixture with Chelsea," the statement read.