Former West Ham defender Tony Gale has described the club's London Stadium as "a powder keg" after trouble marred Wednesday's 2-1 EFL Cup win over Chelsea.
The Football Association has launched an investigation into the violence, with the Metropolitan Police having confirmed that seven arrests were made.
Stewards and police in riot gear were forced to come between supporters squaring up in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand in the final minutes of the first London derby to be played at the former Olympic venue.
Plastic bottles, coins and several chairs were thrown in the clashes.
West Ham and Chelsea condemned the ugly scenes and said they would work with police to review CCTV footage and take action against any supporters found to have been involved.
The Hammers could also face sanctions from the FA, and Gale told talkSPORT that they had to "try and do something about" the situation.
"West Ham were brilliant last night -- they were back to their best," he said. "But all you can hear this morning is about the crowd trouble.
"You could see seats and coins being thrown, and both sets of fans were at it without a doubt. You couldn't say it was all West Ham fans or all Chelsea fans.
"The club have got real problems with the stadium. It wasn't built with segregation in mind. There are so many entrances that it's like a powder keg.
"I feel for West Ham because you'd have to have thousands of police to stop any trouble happening, but they've got to try and do something about it."
He said the Chelsea game had been "a big test for the club, and unfortunately they failed."
West Ham had ramped up security measures ahead of a match that had been widely feared to be a potential flashpoint.
A heavy police presence was visible around the London Stadium ahead of kick-off and 1,000 stewards were also deployed to manage security.
But the nature of the incidents has raised fresh questions about the venue's suitability and readiness for hosting high-profile and emotionally charged football matches.