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South Africa, who have the best record in series deciders among Test teams, will seek their first series win in India

Shiva Jayaraman24-Oct-20150 Number of times India or South Africa have won an away bilateral series against each other from eight previous instances. South Africa had come close to achieving it in 2005-06, before they lost the fifth ODI of the five-match series to concede a 2-2 draw to the hosts. The third match of that series was abandoned. The current series is South Africa’s fifth in India involving two or more ODIs. They had lost 1-2 in a three-match series the last time they had played, in 2009-10.10-3 South Africa’s win-loss record in deciding matches of a bilateral series – their win-loss ratio of 3.33 in such games is the best among the Test teams. However, the last instance of them losing in such a decider came recently, against Bangladesh this year, when they lost the third and final match. They have played two such deciders against India and have won both of them. India have a 11-9 record in such games.

1 Number of times teams batting first have won all the ODIs in a bilateral series involving five or matches. This happened between Pakistan and South Africa in the UAE in 2013. In the current series between India and South Africa, all the four matches so far have been won by teams batting first.8 Number of instances of a bilateral ODI series in India being level going into the final match before the current one. The last such instance was against West Indies in 2013 when the series was level 1-1. India had won the last ODI to take that series.3-0 India’ win-loss record against South Africa at Wankhede Stadium, the venue of the final ODI. The last time the two teams played an ODI against each other at this venue was in 2005, which the hosts won to level a five-match series 2-2. Including their three wins against South Africa, India have won seven of their last ten ODIs at this venue. The last time they lost at Wankhede was in 2003 against Australia.2009 The last time India lost a bilateral ODI series involving five or more matches at home – Australia had won 4-2 in a best of seven-match contest on that occasion. Since then, India have remained unbeaten in seven consecutive series.215.38 AB de Villiers’ strike-rate in the last ten overs of the innings in this series. He has made 84 runs off 39 balls and has been dismissed twice. Rohit Sharma has also done well in these overs having scored 42 off 21. Besides Rohit, India’s batsmen in the top seven have not been able to score rapidly in the last ten overs. They have made 231 runs in 195 balls at a strike rate of 118.46 as opposed to South Africa batsmen’s strike-rate of 143.65.

29.30 Hashim Amla’s batting average in his last ten ODI innings. Amla has made just one fifty-plus score in these innings – a hundred against New Zealand in Centurion. Excluding that knock, Amla has scored only 169 runs in nine innings since the World Cup with a highest of 44 against New Zealand in Durban.1 Number of fifty-plus opening stands in eight innings in this series – a 72-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and David Miller in the third ODI in Rajkot. The opening stands have totally made 307 runs at an average of 38.37. While South Africa’s opening stands have been affected by Amla’s indifferent form, Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t been doing well for India, having made 66 runs in four innings with a highest of 23.5.71 Kagiso Rabada’s economy-rate in the last five overs of the innings. He has bowed 22 dot balls and has conceded just two boundaries off seven overs. He has dismissed four batsmen, including Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, who has scored 25 off 26 balls from Rabada. Morne Morkel too has done well having conceded just nine runs from the two overs he has bowled in the last five. Overall, South Africa’s bowlers have done much better than India’s in the last five overs: 11 wickets at an economy of 6.90, compared to only four at 8.26.

4.71 Economy of India’s spinners in this series; they have taken 15 wickets in four games at an average of 32.93. In contrast, India’ fast bowlers have conceded 6.28 an over and have taken 13 wickets at 43.00 apiece. The fast bowlers have been particularly ineffective with the new ball: they have leaked 6.12 an over in the first 15 overs and have only one wicket from the 33 overs they have bowled in this period. India’s spinners have bowled tight lines in the first 15 and have gone at 3.66. Their six wickets in these overs have come at an excellent average of 16.50.

129 AB de Villiers’ average against India’s spinners as opposed to an average of 25.78 per dismissal for the other South Africa batsmen. While De Villiers has struck at 94, the other batsmen have a collective strike-rate of 73.5 against spin. Overall, the South Africa batsmen have conceded 15 wickets in four ODIs to spinners at an average of 32.67 per dismissal and have struck at 78. In contrast, when Australia had played a seven-match ODI series in India in 2013-14, their batsmen had done better, conceding 19 wickets from six innings at an average of 46.89 and a strike0rate of 98.67.

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2015Overnight on 37, Peter Nevill did well to reach his fifty and kept Australia going with Mitchell Starc•Getty ImagesStuart Broad had Nevill glove one behind, on 53, but the umpire didn’t spot it and England had no reviews. Broad was left on 299•Getty ImagesBut Nevill had to go back soon, for 59, when he edged one down the leg side again and Aleem Dar gave him out•Getty ImagesStarc continued to frustrate England. His fifty meant the lead went past 100•Getty ImagesJoe Root then snapped a sharp catch in the slips to account for Josh Hazlewood…•Getty ImagesAnd Moeen Ali finished things off by dismissing Starc for 58, which set England a target of 121. Steven Finn finished with his best figures of 6 for 79•Getty ImagesStarc came back after lunch to knock Alastair Cook’s off stump for 7•Getty ImagesOn the back of his first-innings fifty, Bell counter-attacked with three fours in a Starc over and marched to 28 off 15•Getty ImagesThat Michael Clarke dropped Bell in the same over as the three fours further strengthened England’s position•Getty ImagesHazlewood came back and trapped Adam Lyth lbw for 12•PA PhotosBut Bell was still there and, with Joe Root for company, steered England to an eight-wicket win for a 2-1 lead•Getty Images

Rangers are in a strong position to complete an "unbelievable" signing in the summer transfer window, according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers have been linked with a host of players of late, with Philippe Clement well aware that further reinforcements will be needed this summer with his squad set to be weakened by several free agent departures.

One piece of business that the Scottish Premiership side could want to get over the line is making Abdallah Sima's loan move from Brighton a permanent one at the end of the season. The striker has been a strong signing for Rangers, scoring 11 goals in 17 league starts, and the hope is that they can strike a deal this summer.

Barnsley left-back Owen Dodgson has been linked with a move to Ibrox, too, with the defender seen as a potentially ideal replacement for Borna Barisic, who is expected to move on in the coming weeks as one of those on expiring contracts. The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Dundee, where he has averaged 2.1 clearances per game in the league this season.

Rangers are also believed to be in talks with West Ham ace Ben Johnson, seeing him as their next Dujon Sterling. The Englishman is capable of impressing in defence and midfield, so he would represent a versatile option for Clement.

Rangers back to complete "unbelievable" signing

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Rangers are likely to sign Sima permanently this summer, and says it would be an incredible deal for what he believes is a £20m player: "Rangers would be getting an unbelievable deal if they signed Sima for £6m. He’s been a good fit for them and I would expect a player with his qualities to be up towards £20million.

"A few other Premier League clubs have had an eye on him in the past couple of years, I think he’s a great watch. But optimism does seem to be there that Rangers are going to tie this one up at a fee that is absolutely from the bargain basement."

Signing Sima for good this summer has to be considered one of Rangers' primary pieces of business, considering the impact he has made. There has been talk of Fabio Silva signing permanently, too, but his fellow loan attacker should easily take precedence, considering he has done so much more this season.

The 22-year-old appears to be happy at Ibrox, while Brighton appear to be willing to let him leave at the end of the campaign, so it could just be a case of all parties coming to an agreement now.

Gers captain James Tavernier has made it clear he thinks of Sima, saying of him earlier in the season: "Sima has been a real attacking threat for us this season. He’s got electric pace and can finish in difficult areas."

Rangers flop who was tipped to be a £20m star is now unemployed at 29

Philippe Clement will be hoping to avoid the mistakes made by his predecessors in the transfer market

By
Ross Kilvington

May 2, 2024

Granted, there is rumoured Premier League interest in Sima, but Jones' update certainly bodes well ahead of the summer window, as Rangers look to make big strides in the market.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah says he is just focusing on enjoying the last year of his contract before deciding on his future.

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• Salah into last year of Liverpool contract
• Forward wants to enjoy the season ahead
• Egyptian will assess his options in 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 32-year-old will be out of contract next summer, with the Egyptian international yet to extend his deal at Anfield. Amid links with the Saudi Pro League, the former Roma star refused to commit to prolonging his spell on Merseyside.

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  WHAT MOHAMED SALAH SAID

  He told : "Before the season, I was just like: 'I've got one year left, let's just enjoy it and don't think about the contract'. I don't want to think about next year or the future, I just want to enjoy the last year [of my contract] and let's see. The most important thing is to take one day at a time and just be grateful to be here."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Salah has proven to be one of Liverpool's best-ever signings – after joining from Roma for £34 million ($45m) in 2017 – and with him still performing at the highest level, manager Arne Slot is likely to want to keep him at the club. While the Reds rejected a reported £150m ($198m) offer from Al-Ittihad last summer, they won't be able to control his fate if he becomes a free agent in 2025. Team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also into the last year of their contracts, so retaining as many of them as possible will be key.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Salah, who has scored 213 goals and bagged 90 assists in 351 games for Liverpool, will next line up for the Merseyside outfit on Sunday away to bitter rivals Manchester United. This may be the last time he takes on the Red Devils for the Reds at Old Trafford.

The rapid growth and development of the Arsenal team under Mikel Arteta has been absolutely fantastic.

From removing underperforming players to signing stars that are worth their price, almost everything has gone perfectly over the last few years, minus the lack of a trophy.

Identifying targets such as Ben White and Martin Odegaard has helped change the culture at the club, but it’s the Spaniard’s trust in one youth player that’s really been a game-changer.

Indeed, that man in question now happens to be worth more than Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba’s combined value.

Bukayo Saka’s 23/24 campaign in numbers

There’s no two ways about it: Bukayo Saka is now a superstar, an undroppable and irreplaceable figure in the Arsenal side since graduating from the academy.

At just 20 years old, football scout Jacek Kulig described the attacker as the “leader of Arsenal,” and he’s well and truly taken on that status despite not wearing the armband.

After scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in the Premier League last season, the expectation was for Saka to go to new heights this campaign, and he’s on track to meet them.

In 31 Premier League matches, the number seven has already matched his goal tally from last season while also adding four Champions League goals and assists to the mix.

To put into perspective just how influential the England international is, he’s the club's top scorer and assister in the league and in Europe, but what is he actually worth in today’s market?

Bukayo Saka’s transfer value in 2024

Just like Saka, Martinelli and Saliba are two of the finest youngsters in the Premier League who play with the maturity and confidence of a seasoned professional.

The French defender in particular is extremely special, and he’s created an unbeatable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes this season over 33 league matches.

The Brazilian winger is also an incredible prospect, with his ten goal contributions in 23 league starts highlighting his quality, although he’s not reached the heights of his 15-goal 2022/23 campaign.

Nonetheless, despite the duo being extremely valuable in their own right, they’re worth nowhere near the amount of Saka, but in truth, not many players in England are.

The 22-year-old is the joint-second-most valuable star in the Premier League according to CIES, on par with Phil Foden and only less than Erling Haaland, which just highlights his quality.

Furthermore, Martinelli and Saliba both feature on the list, but when their values are combined, they’re still a fraction lower than Saka.

What makes Arsenal’s “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Mark White, such a valuable asset is obviously his immense quality, but it’s also the amount of potential he still has, which is a frightening thought in truth.

Saka isn’t only one of the most talented players in England, but he’s also “one of the best young players in the world,” as per teammate Thomas Partey. He really is a special player.

Arsenal have truly hit the jackpot with Saka, and Arteta deserves a tremendous amount of credit for moulding the winger into one of the most frightening players in Europe.

£150k-p/w star has become Rice & Saka's biggest rival for Arsenal's POTY

Arsenal bounced back from a couple of devastating defeats by beating Wolves.

By
Matt Dawson

Apr 21, 2024

Chelsea have launched a new black Nike third kit for 2024-25 inspired in its design by the area's links to the British punk rock scene.

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• Chelsea kit debuted by women's team
• Black third strip inspired by punk scene
• Will be sold without a front sponsor

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Shop Chelsea kits at NikeFind the best deals

  Chelsea Women took to the pitch on Sunday night for their pre-season clash with WSL rivals Arsenal wearing a previously unseen black kit. The club then followed that up on Monday morning with the official launch for this season's third strip.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The anthracite grey and black shirt and shorts are complemented by pink and yellow trim, plus fabric reviving ripped-up, clashing punk patterns. There is also a particular nod to the women's game, with an upturned vertical Nike swoosh intended as a symbol celebrating its acceleration. That is set to be a regular feature across many Nike third kits in 2024-25. The shirt worn by the women against Arsenal featured Infinite Athlete as a sponsor because it is part of deal covering pre-season, but the shirt is being sold without a sponsor on the front as the club does not yet have one in place for the competitive campaign ahead.

• WHAT CHELSEA SAID

  Claire Cronin, Chelsea Football Club's Chief Marketing Officer said: "We're proud to partner with Nike in spotlighting and driving the continued rise of the Women's game through this year's third kit and it was brilliant to see Sonia [Bompastor]'s team wearing it for the first time in Washington on Sunday. The design really plays into our DNA. Chelsea was at the heart of the iconic British punk scene, with the trailblazing creativity it was known for still a huge part of who we are as a club today."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Having concluded their American tour with the win over Arsenal, Chelsea Women return to action for a final pre-season friendly against Feyenoord back at Kingsmeadow on September 7. For the men, they head to Switzerland in the Conference League for the second leg of their qualification play-off against Servette on Thursday, quickly followed by the summer transfer deadline on Friday and then a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

As Jurgen Klopp battles to secure the perfect farewell against the odds at Anfield, Liverpool's injuries have quickly controlled the narrative in a season that may end in what could have been, with their latest blow hardly helping.

Liverpool injury news

Liverpool's EFL Cup final victory over Chelsea, which relied on inexperience and academy graduates for the most part, both sums up the powers of Klopp and the Reds' season. It's been rare that they've had a full squad to choose from, with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Alisson Becker all missing significant parts of the campaign.

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Michael Edwards isn’t messing around.

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Henry Jackson

Apr 16, 2024

Klopp at least has all three options back among his squad to choose from, but it comes at a time when his side looks mentally and physically exhausted after suffering back-to-back defeats against Atalanta and then Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Handing themselves an impossible task of reaching the Europa League's last four following a shock 3-0 defeat against Atalanta at Anfield, and then losing any advantage in the title race courtesy of Palace, the Reds were also handed a blow on the injury front with Conor Bradley limping off against Oliver Glasner's side last Sunday.

Now, according to James Pearce, Bradley will miss the next two to three weeks of action in a major blow for Liverpool, given how much of a revelation the youngster has been since coming into the side.

Klopp can at least feel relieved that Alexander-Arnold is now back fit at the perfect time to step back into his right-back role, but it once again delays the chances of the England international appearing in midfield for the Reds in what could play a part in turning their current form around.

Liverpool games that "fantastic" Bradley could miss

Potentially missing three weeks, Bradley will likely return around the first week of May to hand Liverpool a boost in their final two games against Aston Villa and then Wolverhampton Wanderers. Before then, however, the Northern Ireland international could miss five games in total for the Reds.

Klopp will be well aware of the talent that his side will be missing too, having praised Bradley back in January. The Liverpool boss said: "I'm not sure if Conor Bradley makes it home. He might fall asleep in the dressing room, exceptional. What a boy, a fantastic character, with intelligence, top potential.

"I was waiting for the moment we could give him an opportunity. Today was intense for him. Someone has to drive him home hopefully. He gave absolutely everything. It's really nice to see. He could show how good he already is. So much more to come."

Celtic still have plenty to play for between now and the end of the 2023/24 campaign as Brendan Rodgers bids to avoid a trophyless return to Parkhead.

The Hoops are one point ahead of their closest rivals in the Scottish Premiership, having played a game more than them, and are still in the SFA Cup, having been knocked out of the League Cup and European competitions during the first half of the season.

This means that they could still lift two pieces of silverware before the end of the term but they will need to fight hard to ensure that they do not end up empty-handed.

Attention, irrespective of how this season goes, will then turn to how the Scottish giants can improve their playing squad during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Rodgers reportedly already has his eye on possible targets to bolster his side ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, and there is one target who could be seen as the next Matt O'Riley at Parkhead.

Celtic's interest in exciting playmaker

The Daily Record recently relayed claims from Russia that Celtic are keeping tabs on exciting Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan ahead of the summer.

It was claimed that the Hoops are monitoring his situation but there is no mention of any current interest from other clubs in Europe at this time.

The Armenia international was quoted as saying that a move to Europe is something he would like to do, and recognised that it would take hard work and "fight" in order to achieve that goal.

Football Scotland reporter Mark Hendry has reported that Krasnodar have not had any contact with the Scottish champions as it stands, but have spoken with an unnamed Belgian side.

This suggests that there will be competition from other clubs to secure his signature in the summer, should the Hoops decide to act upon their interest in him.

Last summer, it was reported that Manchester City and Newcastle were among the teams looking at the talented midfielder, who was valued at €13m (£11m) at the time.

Almost one year later and it now remains to be seen how much Krasnodar would want for the 23-year-old wizard, who has just over two years left to run on his contract.

Celtic could land their next version of current star O'Riley by swooping to sign Spertsyan from the Russian outfit at the end of the season, due to his quality in the final third.

Matt O'Riley's Celtic season in numbers

The Denmark international has been in terrific form for the Hoops as an attack-minded midfielder as part of Rodgers' three-man midfield, typically alongside Callum McGregor and Tomoki Iwata of late.

Signed from MK Dons in January 2022, the left-footed wizard has the quality to both score and create goals at an impressive rate in the Premiership.

As you can see in the table, the 23-year-old magician has been one of the team's outstanding performers at the top end of the pitch with his devastating ability in front of goal.

Only Luis Palma (2.7) has made more key passes per game than O'Riley, and no other Celtic player has scored more goals, taken more shots, or registered more assists than the Danish dynamo.

With his phenomenal form for the club, however, comes interest from elsewhere. Leeds are reportedly considering a bid for the midfield whiz, should they win promotion from the Championship, whilst Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion are also eyeing up the Hoops superstar.

This means that Celtic could end up losing the former Fulham prospect in the upcoming summer transfer window, if one of those aforementioned clubs come in with an acceptable offer for his services, which would leave a huge void in the middle of the park for Rodgers.

The Bhoys could, though, land their next version of O'Riley by swooping in to sign Spertsyan, who was supposedly of interest to Newcastle and Manchester City last year, as a possible replacement for the Leeds target.

Why Eduard Spertsyan could be the next Matt O'Riley

Firstly, Ajax director Sven Mislintat hailed the Armenian ace as "special" last year and claimed that he could have been similar to Kevin de Bruyne with the Dutch club.

The Ajax chief claimed that Spertsyan playing in Russia at the time prevented the move from happening, but that he could have been De Bruyne-esque for the Eredivisie side. Celtic's current interest in his services suggests that the same issue will not be a problem this summer.

You can understand why he was likened to the Belgian superstar when you factor in his fantastic statistics from a central midfield position for Krasnodar.

The 23-year-old playmaker has racked up an eye-catching 18 goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances in the Premier Liga for his club since the start of last season.

As you can see in the table above, Spertsyan is a central midfielder who can score and create goals at an exceptional rate, just like O'Riley and De Bruyne – who produced seven goals and 16 assists in the Premier League last term – do in their respective divisions.

The Armenia international chipped in with 21 direct goal contributions, and 2.2 key passes per game, last term, in comparison to O'Riley's aforementioned 23 direct goal contributions, and 2.2 key passes per outing, in 30 league matches this season.

This shows that the 5 foot 10 star, who has 30 goals and 23 assists in 99 games for Krasnodar, has the potential to make a similar impact in the final third from a midfield position.

They are both exciting attack-minded midfielders who want to break forward to join in with the attack, and have the composure and quality to decide games with goals and assists on a regular basis.

Therefore, Rodgers could land his next version of O'Riley by securing a deal for the Armenian magician, who has been likened to De Bruyne.

The Blues' owners could earned some rare praise for taking a strong stance against racism but they instead chose to reward it

It's now four years since former QPR director of football Les Ferdinand revealed that the club's players would no longer be taking the knee in solidarity with the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

"No one is more passionate than me about this topic," the ex-England international explained. "I have spoken on the matter throughout my footballing life. But, recently, I took the decision not to do any more interviews on racism in football because the debate was going around in circles…

"The taking of the knee has reached a point of 'good PR' but little more than that. The message has been lost. It is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge." Or a shiny new shirt.

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  Making a mockery of an entire movement

  Chelsea are very proud of their home kit for 2024-25, which was designed to reflect "the dynamic culture of London" with a jersey that "features a distinctive 'melting pot' pattern." It's such a shame for the marketing team, then, that Enzo Fernandez was wearing not only the shirt, but also the captain's armband as he took the knee ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

  It was a truly shameful sight, a tone-deaf response to a racism row that not only made a mockery of an entire movement, but also highlighted the total lack of strong leadership at Chelsea right now.

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  'Uninhibited racism'

  Just one month before the City game, Fernandez and a number of his Argentina team-mates had felt compelled to celebrate the nation's Copa America triumph by singing a racist song about black players from a country that hadn't even participated in the tournament.

  "They play for France, but their parents are from Angola," the players joyfully sang. "Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French."

  As if to underline the fact that racism is rooted in stupidity, Fernandez decided to live-stream this display of embarrassing ignorance. Unsurprisingly, many of his team-mates were appalled by such behaviour, chief among them Wesley Fofana. "Football in 2024: uninhibited racism," the centre-back wrote on social media.

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  'Caught up in the euphoria'

  Fernandez promptly posted the obligatory 'heartfelt' apology, insisting that he was "truly sorry" for his actions. "That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my character or beliefs," he insisted while also rather incredibly implying that racism can be a consequence of getting "caught up in the euphoria" of victory.

  His employers also issued a public statement: "Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome. We acknowledge and appreciate our player's public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure."

  And how did that inquiry conclude? With Chelsea agreeing to match a significant donation made by Fernandez to an anti-discriminatory charity, before then making him vice-captain for the 2024-25 campaign.

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  'It's finished'

  "All of us make mistakes," new manager Enzo Maresca said while defending the decision to put Fernandez in such a prestigious position. "It's important to recognise Enzo made a mistake, recognised the mistake and it's finished.

  "I don't know about you, but I made some mistakes in the past and I recognised. As a human being, if you make a mistake and you recognise it, you are not going to be punished for life."

  The problem is, though, that Chelsea didn't punish Fernandez, they promoted him – and that staggering move has overshadowed all of the club's previous efforts to change the negative perception of a significant part of its fanbase, and create a more inclusive culture at the club.

Newcastle United have been blessed with several terrific centre-forwards over the years at St. James' Park, ranging from the legendary Alan Shearer, to Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse, to Alexander Isak in the current day.

The Toon Army have had the pleasure of watching some superb goalscorers and scorers of great goals, particularly in the modern era, and two of them currently play for the first-team.

Callum Wilson, who scored 18 Premier League goals last season, and Isak, who has been on fire since his move to the club in the summer of 2022, are both fantastic centre-forwards for Eddie Howe.

Unfortunately, the Sweden international's sublime form has led to reported interest from elsewhere and he may now follow in the footsteps of Andy Carroll, who came through the academy before being sold for a gigantic fee after showcasing his goalscoring quality.

The Magpies struck gold with the England international as they cashed in for a mouth-watering amount of money, particularly when you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years.

Andy Carroll's goalscoring record for Newcastle

The Gateshead-born number nine came up through the youth ranks on Tyneside as he graduate through the academy, which meant that the club did not have to pay a penny in transfer fees to sign him.

He made a smattering of first-team appearances during the 2006/07 campaign, with seven outings across the Premier League, UEFA Cup, and FA Cup, before being sent out on loan to Preston North End for the first half of the following season, where he scored one goal in 11 Championship games.

Over the subsequent 18 months, Carroll scored three goals in 18 Premier League appearances for the Magpies as they were eventually relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2008/09 season.

That drop down to the second tier allowed the centre-forward to thrive as he produced a stunning 17 goals and 12 assists in 39 league matches, including 33 starts, for Newcastle.

It was his real breakthrough season at senior level with a consistent supply of goals and assists from a centre-forward position to propel his hometown club back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Carroll was then able to make the step up to the Premier League with a sensational return of 11 goals and three assists in 18 starts for the newly-promoted side during the first half of the 2010/11 campaign.

This meant that the Newcastle star, who averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.54 for the Magpies that term, had plundered an eye-catching 28 goals and 15 assists in 51 league starts in 18 months.

His sensational form in front of goal, as a regular scorer and creator of goals at both Championship and Premier League level, attracted interest from elsewhere, and Liverpool swooped in to sign him in January 2011.

How much Andy Carroll's move to Liverpool would be worth today

Per Totally Money, the English giants splashed out a whopping £36.9m to sign the then-22-year-old from Newcastle ahead of the second half of the season.

As per their index, which adjusts for inflation in football since the original fee was paid, that deal for Carroll would be worth a mind-boggling £101.6m in 2024, which highlights how big of a move it was for the academy graduate at the time.

Newcastle struck gold with that transfer for multiple reasons. Firstly, they brought through an academy star for £0 and turned him into a mega-money asset, who also helped them with his superb goalscoring exploits on the pitch.

Secondly, his form after moving on from St. James' Park in 2011 suggests that they hit the jackpot by cashing in on the centre-forward when they did.

As you can see in the table above, Carroll struggled badly in front of goal in the five seasons after his exit from Newcastle, for the aforementioned staggering fee.

The 6 foot 4 giant produced 11 goals and six assists in 58 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool before they eventually sold him to West Ham in the summer of 2013 for a fee Totally Money's index has valued at £28.8m in today's money, and £15.7m at the time.

This shows that Newcastle hit the jackpot with the towering centre-forward as they cashed in on him at the perfect time, before his value plummeted by over £70m in 2024 money within less than three years.

Interest in Alexander Isak

It was recently reported by Football Insider that Premier League giants Arsenal, who are currently in the race to secure the title, are interested in Newcastle forward Isak in the present day.

The outlet stated that they are under pressure to abide by the division's financial obligations due to their spending in recent windows, and that they may have to cash in on the Sweden international if they want to make a splash in the market to improve their squad.

This means that the £63m club-record signing from Real Sociedad could be the next Toon marksman to make a big-money move to another Premier League side, as Carroll did when he made the switch to Anfield.

Like the English striker, Isak has proven his quality in the Premier League for the Magpies with his fantastic performances in front of goal since his move to the club.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old dynamo has scored 22 goals in just 34 league starts for Newcastle in less than two full seasons at the club so far.

He has overperformed his xG by roughly three goals, which speaks to the Arsenal target's efficient finishing, and it is easy to see why there is interest in his services ahead of the summer transfer window.

Howe may want to keep hold of his star forward but if an offer that is too good to refuse comes in, as was the case with Carroll, then the Magpies could have to entertain the idea of selling him.