Thursday cannon fodder: routine survival takeover

Premier League/England

West Ham United 0-2 Liverpool: Routine win sends Reds 19 points clear at the top of the Premier League - BBC Sport
A routine win for Liverpool that intensifies the pressure on West Ham at the bottom of the table.

West Ham accounts describe league survival as a financial ‘necessity’ | The Guardian
West Ham’s latest accounts reveal relegation as the greatest threat to the club’s financial health, describing survival as ‘an absolute necessity for the future wellbeing of the club’.

Manchester City reach Carabao Cup final despite Matic’s winner for United | Football | The Guardian
Manchester United’s 1-0 win was not enough to stop City reaching the Carabao Cup final against Aston Villa.

Why has Chelsea’s season stalled? | StatsBomb
All signs pointed to Frank Lampard’s Chelsea reboot being a big success. What’s happening?

Manchester United Women up their game with sleep watches and yoga | The Guardian
Players outline greater emphasis on nutrition and recovery before Continental League Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

Tottenham: Steven Bergwijn completes £27m move from PSV Eindhoven - BBC Sport
Tottenham Hotspur sign Netherlands forward Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven on a contract until 2025.

Europe

Bala Devi: Rangers’ new signing is India’s first female professional footballer - BBC Sport
Her groundbreaking move to Rangers “can be inspirational for players everywhere,” says manager Amy McDonald.

MLS/Americas

Christine Sinclair passes Abby Wambach for all-time lead in international goals | Pro Soccer USA
Sinclair became the all-time leading scorer in the history of women’s international soccer Wednesday.

USWNT blanks Haiti in Concacaf Olympic Qualifying opener
The U.S. Women’s National Team opened its Olympic Qualifying campaign on a winning note.

CONCACAF Finally Announces TV Deal For USWNT Olympic Qualifiers
What if you held the rights to a critical tournament for one of the most popular, famous teams in the world?

New MLS jerseys for 2020 season leaked | SBI Soccer
MLS is celebrating its 25th anniversary by having some kits that are almost as bad as year 1.

Other

Shooting at the near post is really stupid, but stunning when it works - SBNation.com
On Bukayo Saka, Sergio Aguero and the sheer audacity of shooting at the near post.

Olive stones replace rubber in French synthetic pitch | The Connexion
A replacement for those little rubber pellets is being tried in the south of France.

Six trends that transformed football over the last decade | Planet Football
Some of these events transformed the sport entirely, while others are still finding a way to impact the game.

Joao Felix & Antoine Griezmann: Meet the lender behind the some of football's biggest transfers - BBC Sport
Meet the London business that is financing some of world football's biggest deals.

TV piracy hits Saudi Newcastle takeover – not the beheadings and crucifixions then? | The Guardian
Newcastle United fans might not like Mike Ashley much, but some things that go on in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia are a little bit more sinister.