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Newcastle United got back to winning ways on Saturday, and in some style, smashing Leicester City 4-0 at St James’ Park.

Jacob Murphy bagged a brace as the Magpies enjoyed their most-emphatic victory since April, ending a four-match winless streak, as Eddie Howe’s team climbed up to 12th in the table.

When the Magpies travel to Ipswich on Saturday, they’ll be targeting back-to-back Premier League victories for just the second time since September and, if their key players continue to perform, they’ll be firm favourites for victory at Portman Road.

Newcastle United's star men coming to the fore

Both Bruno Guimarães and Alexander Isak scored at the weekend, doing so within three minutes of one another, which was symbolic considering they are the Toon Army’s two most high-profile players.

Isak, in fairness to him, has been generally excellent this season, taking his tally to eight goals for the campaign at the weekend, while the Swede has now bagged 15 goals in 16 appearances on Tyneside since Boxing Day last year.

Since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Isak, which isn’t bad company to keep, hence why the striker has been attracting countless admiring glances.

Guimarães meantime, has started all 16 Premier League matches so far, only 16 players across the entire division have played more minutes, featuring for more minutes than any other Newcastle player both this season and last too.

Saturday though saw the Brazilian score for the first time since the final day of last season, yet to be at his dominating best, as the midfield trio alongside him continues to chop and change.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Of course, everyone knows about the qualities of Isak and Guimarães, but their less-heralded teammate is currently outperforming both.

Newcastle's new star in the making

According to Sofascore, Lewis Hall is Newcastle’s highest-rated player this season, above Anthony Gordon and the aforementioned duo of Isak and Guimarães.

Hall arrived from Chelsea for a fee of £28m, plus potentially £7m in add-ons, making him the club’s ninth-most expensive signing of all-time, all of which have come during the PIF-era, but that’s still a significant outlay considering the PSR-constraints under which Newcastle continue to operate.

During his first campaign on Tyneside, the left-back made just 22 appearances, starting a mere eight Premier League matches, scoring two goals both of which, coincidentally, came in front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford, most notably firing home during a memorable EFL Cup victory over Man United.

However, since both Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman suffered ACL injuries in March, Dan Burn has been required at centre-back, allowing Hall to start 19 of the last 21 Premier League fixtures, including all 13 since 1 September.

Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette described Hall as Newcastle’s “star man”, noting that he “had the most touches, chances created and passes” on Saturday, claiming he could become Premier League’s best left-back, if he isn’t already.

So, how does the 20-year-old compare to some of the division’s best left-sided full-backs?

Appearances

16

15

14

16

16

15

Minutes

1,228

1,174

1,041

1,301

1,165

1,277

Assists

2

1

0

1

2

2

Expected assists

3.1

0.9

2.2

1.2

2.9

2.4

Progressive carries

26

15

23

36

11

38

Touches

1,128

884

893

946

756

746

Tackles

30

25

18

44

31

22

Avg SofaScore rating

7.29

6.90

6.69

7.00

7.01

7.09

As outlined, Hall has played more minutes and touched the ball more frequently than any of the other selected left-backs this season, while his expected assist figure of 3.1 underlines his creativity too.

With Sofascore rating Hall as the best left-back in the Premier League to date this season, considering he’s only 20 years old, he’s only likely to get better, elevating his transfer market value to something rather considerable considering the priciest left-back above was Cucurella’s £60m fee.

New England manager Thomas Tuchel handed Hall his senior debut at Chelsea so, given the Three Lions’ recent issues at left-back, the Newcastle man will feel that spot is up for grabs, having earned his first two senior caps in November.

Big Murphy upgrade: Newcastle plotting bid for "unbelievable" £90m star

Newcastle United could be active when the January transfer window opens for business.

ByDan Emery Dec 16, 2024

Bayern Munich star Michael Olise scored a stunning free-kick as he inspired France's Nations League comeback win over Croatia on penalties.

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Olise scored a world-class free-kickProvided assist for Dembele's goalFrance beat Croatia to progress to the Nations League semisFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Les Bleus headed into their Nations League second-leg fixture against Croatia needing to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first instalment. After a goalless first half, Olise broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute as he scored with a brilliant left-footed free-kick from the edge of the box. The ball flew over the Croatian wall and into the back of the net, leaving goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic a mere spectator.

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Olise then provided the assist for Ousmane Dembele's 80th-minute goal which helped France draw level on aggregate and eventually take the game to penalties, where France edged the shootout 5-4. The Bayern star had a phenomenal outing throughout the 105 minutes he was on the pitch. The forward scored a goal, provided an assist, played five key passes and also had 102 touches.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MICHAEL OLISE?

Olise will be back in action for his club on March 29 as Vincent Kompany's side face St. Pauli in the Bundesliga.

Stats highlights from the final of Ranji Trophy 2015-16 where Mumbai won their 41st title beating Saurashtra by an innings an 21 runs

Bharath Seervi26-Feb-20161321 Runs scored by Shreyas Iyer – second-highest in a Ranji Trophy season. Only VVS Laxman’s 1415 runs for Hyderabad in 1999-2000 are higher than Iyer’s. In his innings of 117 in the final, he also went past the Mumbai record which was held by Wasim Jaffer (1260 runs in 2008-09). Iyer scored those runs at an average of 73.78 and strike rate of 92.70. He also hit the most sixes in this season – 28.50 Percentage of the Ranji Trophy titles won by Mumbai – 41 out of 82. The rest of the teams combined have won 50% of the finals. Mumbai have lost only four out of the 45 finals they reached, which is a win percentage of 91.11.2012-13 Last time the Ranji Trophy final got over inside three days – also between Mumbai and Saurashtra. Mumbai had won that by an innings and 125 runs . Mumbai had made just 355 runs on that occasion, 16 fewer than what they made this time.24 Wickets by Jaydev Unadkat in the knockout matches, the most by a bowler in the knockout stages of any first-class tournament in India in the last ten years. Before the knockout stages, Unadkat had taken only 16 wickets in eight leagues matches. He ended as Saurashtra’s highest wicket-taker with 40 wickets, going past Ravindra Jadeja who took 38 wickets in just four matches. Unadkat’s 40 wickets are also the second-best for a Saurashtra bowler in a Ranji season. Unadkat also completed 150 wickets in his first-class career.3 Ranji Trophy finals that have ended with an innings margin, in the last four seasons. Apart from the two finals between Mumbai and Saurashtra (2012-13 and 2015-16), Karnataka had defeated Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs in the last final, at Wankhede Stadium. Overall, this was Mumbai’s tenth innings win in a Ranji Trophy final. Incidentally, no other team has won ten Ranji Trophy finals. The table below lists the ten finals won by innings margin by Mumbai.

Innings victories by Mumbai in Ranji Trophy finals

Season Margin Against1941-42 Innings and 281 runs Mysore1956-57 Innings and 38 runs Services1959-60 Innings and 22 runs Mysore1961-62 Innings and 287 runs Rajasthan1962-63 Innings and 19 runs Rajasthan1964-65 Innings and 126 runs Hyderabad1969-70 Innings and 59 runs Rajasthan1980-81 Innings and 46 runs Delhi2012-13 Innings and 125 runs Saurashtra2015-16 Innings and 21 runs Saurashtra442 Difference between the top-two run-scorers – Iyer 1321 and Akhil Herwadkar 879 – the highest in any Ranji Trophy season. The previous highest difference was 401, way back in 1944-45, between Rusi Modi’s 1008 runs and Vijay Merchant’s 607. Iyer scored 1.502 times the second-highest run-scorer, the highest since 1972-73 when Chetan Chauhan (873) had scored 1.507 times compared to Sunil Gavaskar’s 579.4 Man-of-the-Match awards for Iyer – most for any player this season. Jadeja (Saurashtra), Rajat Paliwal (Services), Rohan Prem (Kerala) and Herwadkar (Mumbai) got three awards each. Jadeja bagged three awards in just four matches.11 Scores of 50 or more for Iyer – joint-most by a batsman in a Ranji Trophy season. Vijay Bharadwaj (Karnataka) in 1998-99 and Abhishek Nayar (Mumbai) in 2012-13 also made 11 such scores. Bharadwaj hit four centuries and seven half-centuries, as Iyer did this season. Nayar had three centuries and eight fifties.4 Centuries for Iyer – joint-highest this season. Sudip Chatterjee (Bengal) and Paliwal also struck four centuries each.0 Century partnerships for the tenth wicket for Mumbai in first-class matches, before Siddesh Lad and Balwinder Sandhu added 103 in the final. Their highest was an unbeaten 87-run stand between Ashok Mankad and Sushil Singhvi against Gujarat in 1967-68. There have been three such century stands against Mumbai, though, and the highest stand for the tenth wicket in first-class matches in India was also against Mumbai: 233 by Ajay Sharma and Maninder Singh for Delhi in 1991-92 Ranji semi-finals.48 Dismissals by Aditya Tare – most by a wicketkeeper in a Ranji season. He went past Srikar Bharat who recorded 46 dismissals for Andhra last season. Tare took seven catches in the final to go past that mark. This season, he took 44 catches and affected three stumpings. Tare kept in 18 innings compared to Bharat’s 15.2010-11 Last time a player made his first-class debut in a Ranji Trophy final, before Prerak Mankad for Saurashtra this season. In 2010-11, Abhijit Karambelkar made his debut for Baroda against Rajasthan. Mankad also made a half-century in his debut innings. The last player to make his first-class debut in any kind of final and score 50 or more was Kirk Edwards for Barbados against Trinidad & Tobago in Carib Beer Challenge final of 2006.

Simpson reaches 92 as Eskinazi, Higgins add half-centuries at Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2022Half-centuries from John Simpson, Steve Eskinazi and Ryan Higgins combined to give Middlesex what they will regard as a satisfactory opening day’s work as they seek to clinch promotion from Division Two of the LV= Insurance County Championship with two matches left.Middlesex, who started the penultimate round on 188 points – 27 behind leaders Nottinghamshire but 12 ahead of third-placed Glamorgan, finished the day on 293 for 8 with Simpson falling for 92 after Eskinazi had scored 64 and Higgins 53.Having chosen to put Middlesex in on a pitch that made batting tricky for much of the day, Leicestershire mostly bowled well as Michael Finan finished with 3 for 54, with Tom Scriven and Callum Parkinson taking two wickets each but paid dearly for some sloppy fielding, dropping Eskinazi on 11 and Simpson on 29.Middlesex had been four down for 91 at lunch after Leicestershire enjoyed a good morning with the ball but recovered to 196 for 5 at teaFinan, the 26-year-old left-arm seamer plucked out of National Counties cricket, caught the eye again in his third first-class match, beginning the day by removing both Middlesex overs in an impressive opening spell with the new ball.He dismissed Mark Stoneman with his fifth ball, which straightened enough to have him leg before, and then bowled Sam Robson behind his legs. He would have had a third but wicketkeeper Harry Swindells spilled a chance off the glove offered by Eskinazi.Scriven, another recent addition to Leicestershire’s bowling resources, had Pieter Malan caught behind two balls after he’d got away with a streaky edge that second slip probably should have claimed. Skipper and left-arm spinner Parkinson, heeding some criticism about delaying his introduction against Durham last week, was on after 75 minutes and struck in the last over before lunch when his decision to install a short leg for Max Holden reaped a dividend as Sol Budinger took an excellent one-handed catch.Eskinazi completed a 94-ball half-century soon after driving Chris Wright through extra cover for his ninth four. After a watchful start to the session against another testing spell by Finan, a double bowling change allowed Simpson to get into his stride. A couple of boundaries off Scriven were particularly easy on the eye.Leicestershire were handed a gift when Eskinazi threw away his wicket. Presumably trying to create a different angle, he walked down the pitch almost before Scriven reached the crease and left his stumps completely exposed. It was the cricket equivalent of an open goal and Scriven gratefully converted it.It ended a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket but by tea Simpson and Higgins had added another 56, Simpson having been the beneficiary on 29 of another dropped catch, this time put down at mid-wicket off Ed Barnes.A six down the ground by Simpson off Rehan Ahmed’s leg spin straight after tea was followed by the wicketkeeper-batter’s seventh boundary, eased past extra cover off Scriven, taking him to a 104-ball fifty, his eighth of the season.The sixth-wicket pair built patiently thereafter against some tidy Leicestershire bowling, but their partnership was broken on 99 when Higgins, having just completed a solid 94-ball half-century with a well-timed clip through mid-wicket for four, took a stride forward to a ball from Parkinson that turned just enough to find the edge, Colin Ackermann holding the chance at slip having dropped the one at mid-wicket.With that, Parkinson held back on asking for the new ball, Ahmed justifying the decision as Luke Hollman top-edged an attempted sweep straight to backward square, leaving Middlesex 248 for 7.When the new ball came, Simpson seemed to enjoy the return of pace on to the bat but after moving into the 90s by driving a gift full toss from Finan down the ground for his 10th four he went to sweep the next ball and lived to regret it, sending up a top edge that Budinger safely pouched in the deep.The day began with both teams forming a guard of honour for umpire Nick Cook, who is standing in his last match on this ground ahead of his retirement at the end of this season at the age of 66. Born in Leicester, Cook took 395 first-class wickets for Leicestershire as a left-arm spinner, as well as 52 in 15 Test matches.

Everton managed to reveal a layer of attacking quality in midweek, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 in the Premier League.

It was the perfect fuel for Sean Dyche’s side to send the Toffees fanbase into rapture, with Liverpool travelling the less-than-a-mile distance from Anfield for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Storm Darragh had other plans. Howling winds and lashing rain precluded the match from taking place, with Saturday morning bringing about the dreaded news that the contest had indeed been called off.

It’s certainly frustrating, for Everton have entered a good moment and were ready to take on a Liverpool side contending with a host of injuries. Dyche was given a glimpse of attacking quality that has scarcely been on show throughout the term.

To be sure, the Blue Merseysiders need more from their frontal members.

Everton's attacking failures

Dyche has got a task on his hands to overturn the misery that has threatened his place in the Everton dugout. The Toffees might have earned a reprieve through their statement victory against Wolves but consistency has been lacking and that needs to change.

14th

Ipswich Town

23

14=

Newcastle United

23

14=

Nottingham Forest

23

14=

Nottingham Forest

23

18th

West Ham United

22

19th

Southampton

20

20th

Everton

19

While it’s true that Dyche has been let down by his forwards, namely Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has failed to register a direct goal contribution across his past nine Premier League outings, creativity has been negligible, with the Blues indeed the division’s bottom-placed side when it comes to creating chances.

Pretty damning – let’s hope the Wolves victory doesn’t prove to be a lonely outlier. Whether the club will have the financial power to strengthen in January remains to be seen, but they could certainly do with the booster.

Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but it’s also a useless thing. Even so, it’s a real shame, in hindsight, that Everton allowed Ademola Lookman to leave at the start of his career.

His dynamic qualities would be perfect for Dyche’s team.

Why Everton sold Ademola Lookman

Everton were the team that gave Lookman his first opportunity at the highest level, signing him from Charlton Athletic for an £11m fee in January 2017, when he was aged only 19.

Though he is now regarded as a top-class player, the versatile winger failed to establish himself with the Toffees, totalling just four goals across 48 appearances before being sold to RB Leipzig in 2019 in a deal worth £22.5m.

While Everton succeeded in turning a profit for their fringe prospect, it’s rather poignant to watch him do so well now, having finished 14th on the Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings after an incredible year with Serie A side Atalanta.

Aged 27, Lookman is established and ensconced in the prime of his career, and given that Atalanta wanted €70m (£59m) for their dynamic star this summer when high-ranked outfits such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were circling, Farhad Moshiri and co must surely feel a little bit rueful, having let a potential blinder slip through their fingers.

Ademola Lookman's performances in 2024/25

Lookman achieved continental acclaim at the final stage of the 2023/24 campaign, blasting in a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen to claim the Europa League crown.

He’s continued to make headway this year, having posted ten goals and five assists across 17 matches in all competitions, very much backing up the praise that he is Piero Gian Gasperini’s “superstar” – so journalist Sean Walsh has said.

As per FBref, Lookman ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, denoting elite-level potency and an effective ball-carrying quality that shapes him into the complete package.

As you can see, he’s not just a one-trick pony, emerging to spearhead Atalanta’s trophy-lifting triumph. No, Lookman has found a stunning vein of consistency in the final third over the past several years and is now reaping the rewards of his hard labours.

FBref record the Nigeria international to be an exceptionally prolific force, but perhaps more curious is the fact that he has been compared to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Jamal Musiala as a result.

Two heavyweights, Saka and Musiala set the gold standard in the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively, with the pairing considered to be among the most valuable players in the world, as per the CIES Football Observatory.

Goals scored

0.76

0.49

0.45

Assists

0.38

0.36

0.18

Shots taken

3.32

3.39

3.49

Shot-creating actions

5.71

5.68

5.57

Progressive passes

3.98

3.70

5.45

Progressive carries

5.09

4.98

5.15

Successful take-ons

1.97

1.62

3.91

Ball recoveries

4.08

4.37

4.24

Whether Lookman is actually at the same level as a player such as Saka is debatable; the Arsenal sensation is arguably the best right winger in the world right now, barring maybe Mohamed Salah and Barcelona’s Raphinha.

But it’s still a mark of his prowess and a frustrating reminder to Everton that they let him go before he had time to nurture his natural-born talents and bloom.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

While a player like Lookman would be a welcome addition to Dyche’s cause right now, let’s hope that the Toffees have learnt from their past mistakes and ensure that the up-and-coming stars of the present day are allowed to rise to the fore over the coming years.

Dyche's "new hope" could be Everton's answer to Mo Salah

Everton meet Liverpool in the rivals’ final Premier League contest at Goodison Park.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 7, 2024

Arsenal's Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury during Italy's Nations League loss to Germany, and boss Luciano Spalletti has provided an update.

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Calafiori picks up injury in Germany lossSpalletti provides an update on Arsenal starParticipation for second-leg under questionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Calafiori started for Italy in their 2-1 loss to Germany in the first leg of their Nations League quarterfinal clash, however, the Arsenal defender appeared to pick up an injury during the clash. The injury came after Calafiori seemed to slip during a German attack and landed awkwardly on his knee.

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After some treatment on the field, Calafiori was able to continue and took part in the full 90 minutes of the clash. However, Italy boss Spalletti has now revealed that the Arsenal centre-back felt 'something strange' in his knee, sparking concerns at Arsenal.

Getty ImagesWHAT SPALLETTI SAID

Speaking to the media, Spalletti said: “We still don’t know if he’s injured. Ricky feels something strange in his knee but we still don’t know."

WHAT NEXT FOR CALAFIORI?

The Arsenal defender will likely take proper care of his knee injury as he has been a victim of a major knee injury as a 16-year-old. His participation in Arsenal's next Premier League clash against Fulham could be in doubt.

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea, they have invested heavily in the striker department, looking to find a consistent 15+ goal forward.

The Blues have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Datro Fofana, Nicolas Jackson, Deivid Washington, Christopher Nkunku, João Félix, and Marc Guiu, all players who can play as a centre forward, and all players signed since the new ownership came in.

The best of the bunch turned out to be Jackson, who has netted 24 goals in 57 games since joining the club, also providing nine assists in that time. The former Villarreal ace has formed a lovely partnership with Cole Palmer, who is another investment exceeding all expectations of when he was signed in 2023.

Cole Palmer's incredible numbers at Chelsea

Palmer joined the club from Manchester City in 2023, for a fee of around £40m plus £2.5m add-ons. Since joining the Blues, the Englishman has made 59 appearances, scoring 32 goals and providing 20 assists in 4,708 minutes, being named Chelsea POTY for the 2023/24 season.

Despite playing a mixture of right-wing and attacking midfield last season, Enzo Maresca has looked to fully unleash Palmer centrally, allowing him to float in the pockets, drop deeper to receive the ball, and be involved in all phases.

So far this term, the 22-year-old has made 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in his 1,095 minutes played.

But, there is one signing Chelsea could make to get that little bit more out of their superstar, by forming a dynamic that allows him to further utilise his skillset.

The Chelsea target Cole Palmer will love

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Chelsea are keen on bringing Newcastle striker, Alexander Isak to Stamford Bridge. However, they will face competition from Arsenal, as the sides will look to get the deal done for a fee in the region of £80m, a lower fee than the Magpies’ current £115m asking price.

Kieran Trippier – Isak’s Newcastle teammate – has described Isak as “unbelievable”, and the Swedish striker has certainly been that on Tyneside.

He has made 79 appearances for the Magpies since joining the club, scoring 40 times, supplying seven assists and totalling 5,661 minutes played. So, why would the Toon sensation benefit Palmer and how does he compare to Jackson?

Goals

0.58

0.66

Assists

0.19

0.28

xG

0.54

0.62

Progressive Carries

2.00

1.98

Progressive Passes

1.58

1.42

Shots Total

3.90

2.64

Key Passes

1.16

1.23

Shot-Creating Actions

2.53

2.74

Touches (Att Pen)

5.89

4.72

Aerial Duels Won

1.05

0.57

It’s evident that Isak and Jackson have similar playing styles. They look to be involved in the buildup, help their teams progress play via their passing and carrying qualities, have the ability to be an outlet by running the channels, and are capable of getting shots off.

Jackson ranks ahead of Isak in creative metrics, making more key passes and averaging more shot-creating actions per 90, showing his ability to supply for his teammates, as well as himself. This is also proven by the assists per 90 numbers, where the Senegal international is averaging more than Newcastle’s no.14 in this department.

The impressive Swede does possess more natural box threat though, standing at 6 foot 4, averaging more penalty area touches per 90 (5.89), and more aerial duels won (1.05), both key traits Chelsea are looking to add to the squad.

Thus, by adding more aerial presence in the box, it would allow creators such as Palmer to thrive.

Indeed, Isak’s arrival would give the former Man City ace the potential to fully utilise his excellent passing quality, finding clever crosses into the box, and having the ability to mix it up in their play, making Chelsea more unpredictable in their attacking movements.

Palmer has been an excellent goal scorer but this signing could be one that takes him to the next level in the way of assists too.

Chelsea must sell £100k-p/w flop who Boehly thought was "hugely exciting"

The Chelsea flop has failed to live up to expectations since his move to the Bridge.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2024

Lewis Goldsworthy’s maiden List A hundred brings light to dismal campaign

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2022Somerset 266 for 5 (Goldsworthy 111, Rew 96) beat Warwickshire 252 (Rhodes 92, Brookes 51) by 14 runsSomerset collected their first Royal London Cup win at the eighth and last attempt and dragged Warwickshire out of the competition in the process with a 14-run victory at Edgbaston.Lewis Goldsworthy’s maiden List A century (111, 116 balls) and Jack Brooks’ excellent bowling (four for 38) underpinned a win which brought some belated light to a leaden campaign.Somerset owed their total to a third-wicket stand of 198 in 35 overs between Goldsworthy and James Rew (96, 120). Olly Hannon-Dalby and Liam Norwell took two wickets apiece but George Garrett impressed most, conceding 37 from his ten overs.Warwickshire knew that reaching 267 would take them through to the knockout phase but their depleted batting order, without the injured Krunal Pandya and Michael Burgess, fell just short on 252 all out. Captain Will Rhodes (92, 103) and Ethan Brookes (51, 57) added 104 in 18 overs for the fifth wicket but there were no contributions of substance either side of their stand.After choosing to bat, Somerset soon lost former Warwickshire opener Andy Umeed, bowled by Norwell who also had Steven Davies superbly caught low at slip by Rob Yates. With three vital championship games to come in September, the Bears will be encouraged to see Norwell starting to regain full fitness and menace.Related

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Rew and Goldsworthy rebuilt, slowly at first, then more fluently, reaching their half-centuries from 77 and 71 balls respectively. The latter struck 12 fours in a polished innings before falling lbw to Yates.Eighteen-year-old Rew was a boundary short of his second List A ton when he sliced Hannon-Dalby to short third man. George Bartlett’s tidy unbeaten 29 (21 balls) lifted Somerset to a competitive score.Yates (four fours and a six in 25) gave Warwickshire’s reply a brisk start until he was brilliantly caught at extra cover by Bartlett off Kasey Aldridge. A string of batters then also picked out fielders. Bartlett pounced again at extra when Dom Sibley (23, 36 balls) lifted a drive at Brooks and Goldsworthy added wickets to his earlier runs as Hamza Shaikh swept to deep mid-wicket and Matt Lamb cut to point.That was 95 for four but as Rhodes and Brookes’ enterprising batting righted the ship and got the crowd involved. Brookes twice located the Hollies Stand on his way to a 53-ball half-century before edging Brooks to wicketkeeper Davies.Brooks’ then pinned Kai Smith lbw with a yorker to send Warwickshire into the last five overs needing another 42. Denied the required boundaries by disciplined, full-length bowling, they entered the final over requiring 21. That was well beyond the tail and they accompany their opponents out of the tournament.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2016Stiaan van Zyl had to fend off a few short deliveries early on•AFPBen Stokes broke the opening stand when he struck in his first over•Getty ImagesHe thought he had another wicket but his call to review an lbw shout against Hashim Amla did not pay off, but it was mighty close•Getty ImagesMoeen Ali did what England’s quicks couldn’t and broke the second-wicket stand by removing Dean Elgar•Getty ImagesSteven Finn produced a magnificent spell which included the wicket of Hashim Amla•Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis lazily flicked a catch to deep square leg•AFPJonny Bairstow, who had an excellent day, did superbly well to gather the throw to complete Temba Bavuma’s run out•Getty Images

Questions have been asked of whether Erling Haaland will honour his contract at Manchester City, with it pointed out that “10 years is a long time”.

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Norwegian tied to deal through to 2034Could break countless records in that timeLa Liga transfer talk seemingly never far awayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Premier League champions City have moved to tie their prolific Norwegian striker down to a deal that is due to run until the summer of 2034. Haaland is considered to be a key part of present and future plans at the Etihad Stadium.

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It is easy to see why City would want such terms in place, with the 24-year-old frontman hitting 118 goals through 136 appearances. Haaland has collected major honours at home and abroad, but has also generated plenty of transfer talk when it comes to supposed interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

WHAT RICHARD DUNNE SAID

Quizzed on whether Haaland will see out a decade-long deal in Manchester, former City captain Richard Dunne – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It’s unheard of, a contract that length. It’s exceptional that he’s got something like that.

“I suppose the couple of seasons that he’s had have proven what he can do. It’s a case of can he do it for that length of time? I’m sure he can, but things change an awful lot in football and 10 years is a very long time.

“If he’s still there, brilliant. At the moment he’s the No.1 striker in world football. If City can keep him, that’s amazing. But also for the Premier League, to have him for that amount of time. Whether he actually goes and sees that deal out remains to be seen.”

Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?

If Haaland were to hang around at City, then he will likely rewrite the history books. Pressed on the possibility of every record being broken if 10 more years are spent at the Etihad, Dunne added: “You would imagine. On paper, yeah. Given what he’s done so far, yes. But, he still has to score nearly 30 goals every season. It’s still a huge ask and an incredible achievement what he’s doing at the moment.

“It looks like he’s the one that would break [Alan] Shearer’s record and set records that would never be beaten again. To keep that consistency over a period of time isn’t the easiest. We have seen it this season, where he has probably not got the goals that he expected. Man City haven’t had the season that they would’ve expected.

“It will happen over the course of the next 10 years and might not happen again. It’s hard but any man playing football at the moment that you thought had a chance of breaking all the records, he is certainly the one. Given the amount of time that he is hopefully going to be there, he’s got a real opportunity to do it.”