The South Australia veteran brought up his 10th first-class century to help his side wrest a first-innings advantage over New South Wales from a position of disadvantage
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2018New South Wales 256 and 1 for 61 (Hughes 32*, Cowan 16*, Winter 1-26) lead South Australia 281 (Cooper 105*, Andrews 50, Copeland 4-63) by 36 runs ScorecardAn unbeaten century from South Australia veteran Tom Cooper helped the Redbacks claim first-innings lead over New South Wales in a tight tussle at the SCG.The Redbacks were 7 for 141 at one stage and were looking at a significant first-innings deficit. Trent Copeland had taken four of the first seven scalps for the home side. But Cooper and Tom Andrews combined for a 96-run stand to dig the Redbacks out of the mire. Andrews made his maiden first-class half-century before falling to the legspin of Daniel Fallins.Cooper looked set to be stranded but sneaked to his 10th first-class hundred when the Redbacks were nine down. Fallins finished with three wickets on his Sheffield Shield debut.Redbacks paceman Nick Winter trapped Nick Larkin early in the Blues’ second innings but Daniel Hughes and Ed Cowan saw them through to stumps without further loss. Cowan passed 10,000 first-class runs in the process.
A low-key opening day of the series finished early and without a runaway winner, though South Africa were probably slightly the happier after keeping Australia to 225 for 5
The Report by Brydon Coverdale01-Mar-2018 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt wasn’t exactly a whimper, but neither was it much of a bang. Perhaps low-key is the best way to describe the opening day of the series at Kingsmead. Durbanites didn’t flock to the venue, and what the vast majority of the city missed was a couple of half-centuries from Steven Smith and David Warner, a few fifty partnerships, five wickets, and a day that was shortened by 14 overs due to bad light. It was a day without a runaway winner, though South Africa will probably go to bed slightly happier.Play ended with Australia on 225 for 5, with Mitchell Marsh on 32 and Tim Paine on 21. Like most of the Australians before them, they had made starts, but nobody yet managed to push on to an influential score. South Africa’s bowling was consistent and admirable, and there were two wickets each for Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj, and one to Kagiso Rabada. Their catching was sharp, though their reviewing was awful. Having lost the toss, they would be comfortable with their position.Most notably for South Africa, they prevented Warner and Smith from really getting away. Smith brought up his fifth consecutive score of fifty-plus in Tests, and Warner shook off his recent struggles against the white ball to extend his run of fifty-plus Test scores in South Africa to six. But like a pair of rockabilly tragics, they both got stuck in the fifties.Philander snared Warner for 51 with the final ball before lunch to leave Australia three-down at the long break, having already lost Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja cheaply. Warner fell to an excellent catch from AB de Villiers at second slip and it was the second brilliant take by the South Africans in the session – Quinton de Kock had dived to his left to pouch a tough chance to remove Khawaja for 14 when Rabada nibbled one away in his first over.Keshav Maharaj claimed the wickets of Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh•AFPAlthough just a single wicket fell in the next session it was arguably as valuable as the three that fell before lunch, for it was that of Smith, the best Test batsman in the world and the man to whom Australia look for stability. On 56, Smith edged one off the spin of Maharaj and saw the ball ricochet off the wicketkeeper de Kock and lob up to be easily grabbed by de Villiers at slip. It left Australia at 151 for 4, and less than ten overs later Maharaj added Shaun Marsh, who limply pushed outside off and edged behind for 40.There was no shortage of action in the opening session, with South Africa out of reviews by the 11th over. They wasted their first on the third ball of the Test, when Morne Morkel’s delivery to Bancroft was shown to be both high and wide of leg stump, and the second review disappeared when Maharaj’s first ball spun sharply in to Warner – too sharply, for it would have missed leg stump comfortably.They were potentially costly errors, and South Africa later could have had Shaun Marsh lbw on 19 if they had a review left in the bank. Rabada fired one in from around the wicket and struck Marsh low but was given not out on field; ball-tracking showed the delivery cannoning into leg stump. That they picked up Marsh before he did too much further damage must have been a relief.The only Australian who failed to reach double figures was Bancroft, whose place in the Test side becomes more tenuous with each failure. Bancroft took the strange decision to walk across his stumps against the second ball he faced from Philander and edged behind for 5, the manner of his dismissal hardly what might have been expected of a man noted for patience.By the close of play, all of his batting colleagues had made better starts, though Australia’s position was not especially strong. On an understated day of Test cricket, it was the hosts who narrowly took the honours.
Glasgow Rangers badly needed a summer rebuild and under Michael Beale, they finally got it, albeit it was a year or so too late.
Out went crowd favourites such as Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield and Alfredo Morelos, while Ryan Kent also departed the Ibrox side as it appeared Beale was in no mood for sentimental decisions.
With some of the wage bill freed up, the former QPR boss began his business and by the end of the summer transfer window, had signed a grand total of nine players.
Having opened the 2023/24 season with just four wins across nine games, while failing to qualify for the Champions League group stages and dropping vital points to Celtic, it remains to be seen whether these players can take the club to the next level.
A few players, such as Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, and Jack Butland, arrived at Ibrox having gained plenty of experience in the Netherlands, Italy and England and should become key players for the club as the season progresses.
A couple of the new signings arrive with plenty of potential and clearly see a stint at Rangers as the best place for them to continue their development while hopefully making the Light Blues a major profit in the future.
Dujon Sterling is arguably the main candidate with regard to this, and his value has already risen rapidly since moving north of the border.
How much did Dujon Sterling cost Rangers?
The versatile defender – who can operate on either the right or left-hand side of the defence – joined the Gers for nothing this summer having signed a pre-contract agreement in May and Beale was well aware of his talents as he spent time coaching the player during his stint at Chelsea.
Dujon Sterling
The 43-year-old praised Sterling upon his signing, saying: “I am delighted to welcome Dujon to Rangers, he is an exciting young player who, I’m sure, will be a great addition to our squad.
“He is someone I was aware of from my time at Chelsea, and I have always kept an eye on his career as it has progressed.
“He is a very powerful and strong defender, who has fantastic attacking qualities and I look forward to working with him at Rangers.”
With the Gers looking at bolstering their defence, specifically in the full-back areas, Sterling was clearly looked upon as someone who could offer something different to James Tavernier and Borna Barisic.
How much is Dujon Sterling worth now?
When he joined the club, his value was at a modest €0.8m (£0.7m), yet after only a few months, it has now leapt up to €3.6m (£3m), as per Football Transfers' xTV (expected transfer value) model, and it could perhaps rise even further should he gain more opportunities in the near future.
The 23-year-old spent time out on loan with a few English sides and this experience will hopefully stand him in good stead, giving him the confidence to shine in Glasgow.
Why is Dujon Sterling worth this?
Despite joining Chelsea at a relatively young age and moving through the youth teams, Sterling only made two senior appearances for the club, although he did make the matchday squad on three occasions during their victorious FA Cup campaign during the 2017/18 campaign.
Chelsea U23 boss Adi Viveash praised him back in 2016 when he was just making his way in the academy, saying: “Dujon obviously had a great little 25 minutes again, which is important.
Dujon Sterling
“We are trying to manage his development; he is obviously playing a lot of games at the moment.
“He’s a fantastic talent, but we have to be careful. His desire to score goals is superb. He is really a defender, but he can play in any position I think.”
In total, he played 88 games for the U21, U18 and U19 teams while enjoying periods on loan with Stoke City, Coventry City and Blackpool.
Last season, he made 26 appearances for Stoke in the Championship, and although he doesn’t quite have the raw attacking prowess that Barisic and Tavernier have, he still averaged 0.5 key passes per game and created one big chance while succeeding with 0.7 dribbles per game – a success rate of 55%.
Defensively, he won an impressive 4.5 total duels per game – a 55% success rate – along with making 1.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game. These figures ranked him seventh, sixth and tenth across the whole Stoke squad, decent statistics but hardly breathtaking numbers.
In comparison, he would’ve ranked seventh, first and joint-fifth for the same metrics in the Rangers squad during the 2022/23 campaign, suggesting that he certainly could make a positive impact this season.
Sterling hasn’t been given many chances to showcase his talents so far however, playing just five times in all competitions, starting only twice and one of those was against Celtic.
He was deployed at left-back during the first Old Firm clash of the season due to Barisic being injured and Ridvan Yilmaz still not 100% fit, yet it was clear the occasion was too much for him.
Across his 64-minute spell on the pitch, he did make three interceptions, two tackles and was only dribbled past one, but he only won four out of his nine ground duels and took just 39 touches.
The 23-year-old failed to generate an attacking spark in the manner of Barisic as he didn’t succeed with a single dribble attempt or deliver a cross during the tie.
Sterling is still in the embryonic stages of his Ibrox career and has shown previously that he is a talent that if given some minutes, will gradually get better and better.
Considering his value has risen sharply in just a few short months, it’s evident that he should come good, and it is now on Beale to give him some more opportunities in the starting XI.
Dislodging Tavernier or Barisic will be tough, especially with their talents at bursting forward and creating chances, but if he sharpens up his creativity and attacking skills, Sterling could turn into a solid player for the club.
One that could definitely make the Ibrox side a major profit in the coming years, that’s for sure.
The West Indies captain praises a “total team effort” but acknowledges team isn’t a finished article yet
Liam Brickhill in Harare25-Mar-2018West Indies captain Jason Holder praised a “total team effort” in their qualifying campaign in Zimbabwe. While Holder himself had a fine tournament – scoring 219 runs with a top score of 99 not out and taking 15 wickets – he was backed up by various other players at different points during the tournament. Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer and Chris Gayle all scored hundreds, while Kemar Roach bagged 11 wickets.Holder pays credit to Zimbabwean support staff
“I’ll take a lot of memories home. I came here for the first time three years ago. I really enjoyed this trip. I really enjoyed the cricket, I really enjoyed the crowd. “I also really want to mention people like Stanislaus Rukato and Tonderai Damas. They have helped us out tremendously. Stan is our liaison officer, Tonderai is our change room attendant. These guys were with us the last time we were here as well, and they have really outdone themselves. Without them, I don’t think we would have made it this far in the competition. “I really want to ask Zimbabwe Cricket to continue to utilize these guys. They have been noble ambassadors for their country, and they should be rewarded.”
“We had a good campaign,” Holder said. “We won all of our group stage matches. We came into the Super Sixes and lost our first game against Afghanistan, but we rebounded to win the next two must-win games to qualify. It was tremendous. Throughout the tournament, we had outstanding performers. Century-makers, five-wicket hauls. Kemar Roach was outstanding. He wasn’t fully fit in the tournament, but he really put up his hand and bowled us into strong positions with the new ball. It was a total team effort, on and off the field.”This was one of the best times we’ve come together as a side. We knew the importance and significance of this tournament, and credit must go to each and every individual. And also to all the management and backroom staff. They’ve all outdone themselves.”While they managed to secure their place at next year’s World Cup in England, Holder admitted that West Indies were not yet the finished article. He added that they would be leaving Zimbabwe without fully completing their mission, which was to win the qualifying tournament outright.”Part of our job was to qualify for the World Cup, and part of it was to win this competition. Credit to the Afghans, they played some good cricket. They deserved to win the competition. Afghanistan had an outstanding tournament, to come back from where they were.””We’ve obviously got some room for improvement. We’re not a perfect side. We’ve got to address some issues. But I think we’ve got four series before we play in the World Cup. So it should be enough time and enough room for improvement.”
West Brom have made a stuttering start to their Championship season, but a major off-field development could help spark them into life, according to a new update.
Will West Brom be promoted to the Premier League?
The Baggies were hoping to be one of the early promotion frontrunners in 2023/24, but things haven't panned out that way yet. Heading into the weekend, Carlos Corberan's side found themselves in the bottom half of the table, having struggled to find consistency, and while it is still clearly early days, improvements are needed if they are to look like genuine promotion hopefuls.
Off-field matters aren't necessarily helping West Brom at the moment, with the ownership of Guochuan Lai not going too swimmingly overall, and the Baggies finding themselves limited in a financial sense, unable to bring in sufficient signings.
Many supporters are hoping for a takeover to come to fruition sooner rather than later, and according to a fresh claim, it looks as though they may be set to get their wish.
Will West Brom's takeover go through?
West Brom winger Matt Phillips.
According to Football Insider, there has now been a significant breakthrough regarding the potential takeover of West Brom in the near future:
"West Brom chiefs are growing in confidence that a takeover deal can be agreed this year after holding exploratory talks, sources have told Football Insider. The Baggies have held talks with multiple parties from the US and the Middle East as they look to find suitors to purchase the club from current owner Guochuan Lai.
"As reported by The Telegraph, the Championship side could face a ‘fire sale’ in January if new owners aren’t found. The club has struggled financially under Guochuan Lai and with the Chinese businessman not willing to inject more funds into the club they could be forced to cut costs this winter.
"West Brom already offloaded a number of first-team players in the summer to lower the wage bill, including the sale of Dara O’Shea to Burnley for a fee less than his release clause. With the threat of a January firesale looming in the background, West Brom have begun the process of contacting potential buyers, with talks held with US investors this month."
This is a massive boost for anyone of a West Brom persuasion, assuming they are behind the idea of new owners coming in and moving the club forward, and it could be a big turning point in their future.
As mentioned, it increasingly feels as though Lai's time as owner needs to come to an end in order to put the Baggies in a stronger financial situation and not leave them having to sell players, while having richer owners could transform their fortunes on and off the pitch.
The fact that talks are already reportedly underway with potential American investors can only be a good thing, and it could give Corberan the opportunity to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window should a takeover be completed before then, allowing West Brom to look more formidable in the second half of the season.
Manchester United have struggled under Ruben Amorim so far. The Red Devils have so far been led in 21 matches by their new manager, but have managed to win just ten of those games, losing nine times and drawing two along the way.
There have been some incredibly disappointing defeats in there, too. They include a 2-0 defeat away from home against Wolverhampton Wanderers and a loss by the same scoreline at Old Trafford against Crystal Palace.
There have been some high points, including a win away to Manchester City and a draw at rivals and Premier League leaders Liverpool.
However, they will now be without the man who scored the crucial goals in those games, Amad.
Amad’s impact under Amorim
In a season of huge disappointment for the Red Devils, one of the only good things has been the performances of Amad. The Ivorian forward was described as “unstoppable” after his Derby Day heroics by United legend turned Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
Despite a big impact in the tenure of former manager Erik ten Hag, Amad found opportunities sparse under the Dutchman. However, that cannot be said for his time under Amorim. The Portuguese manager seemingly loves the attacker, and has, at times, relied on him to dig his side out of a hole.
In 20 appearances under the former Sporting CP boss, the United number 16 has managed six goals and five assists, with nine of those coming in games where his side won or drew. Amad’s contributions have been massive this season.
So, for United to be without Amad for the rest of the season, is a huge blow. Amorim confirmed last week that the Ivorian damaged his ankle ligaments and will miss the remainder of the campaign.
It leaves the Portuguese manager with the unenviable task of finding an in-house replacement.
Perhaps the answer could lie in United’s ever-productive Carrington academy.
United’s in-house Amad replacement
Sunday afternoon’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur was a memorable day for several of United’s academy players. Amorim named eight of them on the bench, bringing Chido Obi onto the pitch for the final throes of the game, for his first-team debut.
However, the solution to his Amad problem may not lie in the players he selected on Sunday afternoon in North London, but in the form of Shea Lacey, an attacker who was not involved against Spurs.
Lacey is an attacking player who is held in high regard and is believed to have a “huge future ahead”, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig. The youngster has struggled with injuries in the last few months but is finally back to full fitness and playing weekly for United’s academy.
His record for the Red Devils youth side is impressive. He has played 30 times for the under-18s and the under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, scoring five goals and grabbing seven assists in that time.
Just like Amad, Lacey is a left-footed right winger, who excels in the half spaces and has exceptional close control. He is also comfortable cutting inside on his left foot and trying his luck from range, as this strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2023 shows.
The Liverpool-born winger is a player who can have a big impact in a short space of time. His stats on Sofascore from a 26-minute cameo against Galatasaray in the UEFA Youth League last season show this.
In that short time, he created one big chance and won four out of seven ground duels.
Stat
Number
Minutes played
26
Touches
20
Pass accuracy
78%
Passes completed
7/9
Chances created
1
Big chances created
1
Assists
1
Perhaps Lacey is the solution to replacing Amad. He is of a similar profile and excels in the same areas of the pitch as United’s Ivorian winger.
At 17 years of age, he is perhaps too young to be thrown into the deep end and start every week, but opportunities off the bench may be there.
In The Pipeline
Lacey certainly seems like a player United fans can get excited about. Who knows, maybe a first-team debut isn’t too far out of the picture.
INEOS made bigger mistake than Rashford selling Man Utd's future "captain”
Manchester United made even bigger mistake than Rashford by selling a future “captain”
Kylian Mbappe tore the net with a bullet opener to extend Paris Saint-Germain's aggregate lead against Real Sociedad in the Champions League last-16.
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Mbappe took just 15 minutes to score the openerFound the net from an acute angleThe net got damaged as the ball went inWHAT HAPPENED?
The French forward received the ball near the touchline and after showing quick feet to Igor Zubeldia he rifled away a shot towards goal from a tight angle. The ball flew in through the far post and such was the power behind it, that the net got damaged.
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English referee Michael Oliver had to pause play for a while as he was informed on the radio that the ball had damaged the net. PSG had been excellent in the first half as they not only strangled the opposition with their incessant pressure in attack but also kept things tight at the back to completely stifle the hosts.
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PSG lead the tie by a three-goal margin and if Mbappe is allowed to play the full 90 minutes, then the margin could get only bigger. Of course, Luis Enrique attracted the forward's ire by substituting him during his side's last game against Monaco.
Raina hasn’t played an ODI since October 2015, but has featured in India’s T20I contests this year – against South Africa and in the Nidahas Trophy against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2018India’s selection committee has named Suresh Raina as Ambati Rayudu’s replacement in the ODI squad for the tour of England. Rayudu was dropped from the 16-man squad on Friday after failing to clear a mandatory fitness test in Bengaluru.India’s ODI squad
Raina hasn’t played an ODI since October 2015, when he was dropped after a poor run of form following the series against South Africa, but has featured in India’s T20I contests this year – against South Africa and in the Nidahas Trophy against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Raina was already named in the T20I squad for India’s games against Ireland and England. Since January 2018, Raina has scored 170 runs in eight T20I innings.In the yo-yo fitness test that Rayudu failed, players are required to attain the 16:1 mark, the minimum level set for Indian players by the team’s strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu. It is understood that Rayudu fell short of the minimum cut-off by a reasonable distance.India’s three-match ODI series against England starts on July 12 in Nottingham and ends in Leeds on July 17.
Glasgow Rangers have been handed a boost after learning that two of their first-team stars are set to return for Thursday's game vs Aris in the Europa League.
Which Rangers players are injured?
The Ibrox outfit currently have Danilo, Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence and Rabbi Matondo out on the sidelines with their own respective longer-term injuries, and whilst Kieran Dowell still isn’t ready to stage his comeback to competitive action, he has returned to light training.
The Light Blues also suffered a more recent scare when Kemar Roofe was forced off the pitch during the 4-0 Viaplay Cup victory over Livingston after just 46 minutes, which saw him sent for a scan to assess the extent of the damage he sustained, but luckily, he has been passed fit and is once again ready to be involved under the lights.
In the Scottish Premiership, Nicolas Raskin is another regular feature who has been missing from the action having spent the last two weeks away from the grass with a calf problem, and the central midfielder's absence has certainly been noticed considering the positive start he’s made to the season.
The Belgium youth international has firmly established himself as the club's top-performing defensive player since the beginning of the new campaign, and luckily for supporters, the 22-year-old will be hoping to pick up where he left off following an update that will be music to the ears of everyone on the blue side of town.
Is Nicolas Raskin set to return for Rangers?
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Rangers interim manager Steven Davis confirmed that Raskin is up for selection for this evening’s fixture vs Aris. As quoted by the club’s official account on X, he said:
“There is a lot of character and leaders in this dressing room. Everyone knows it is time to step up. Everyone is hurting and our focus is on getting a positive result tomorrow night. Raskin and Roofe have travelled and will be available to play part of the game.”
Glasgow Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
What type of player is Nicolas Raskin?
Whilst Raskin is naturally a central midfielder, he has been much stronger in the defensive aspect of his game so far this season, where he ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles. It will come as a massive boost for Davis and indeed Rangers to have him back at their disposal, especially given the recent departure of Michael Beale, with some solidity needed through the spine of the team in the absence of a permanent boss.
The Teddy Bears’ £6.9k-per-week earner has also recorded two assists since joining the club from Standard Liege back in January, with the impression that he’s been able to make at both ends of the pitch having seen him hailed “class” by journalist Josh Bunting.
Finally, Raskin is a versatile operator having been deployed in five various positions across the pitch since first bursting onto the professional scene, including four roles in the midfield and even out wide on the right wing, so for all of the qualities that he possesses, his return to the field will be more than welcome under the lights.
Arsenal have started the new Premier League campaign in similarly blistering fashion as they did the last, as Mikel Arteta is seeking to mount yet another title charge, but actually see it through until the end this time.
His summer additions are expected to provide the edge needed to topple Manchester City, with their win last weekend proving that the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya are already making their mark and offering the step-up needed.
However, to fund such a summer of free-spending, there unsurprisingly had to be a few casualties.
It always felt like Edu and his Spanish manager were building towards a window of such magnitude, having seen big-earners like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette all banished for the betterment of the team.
Arsenal managerMikelArteta
After all, shattering the club's previous record transfer by bringing in the former West Ham United captain marked a monster transfer, and one which needed some alternative deals to offset the £105m expended.
Unfortunately, there are no better sales to be made than from the academy, marking pure profit as they go down on the books as created for free. As such, the widespread interest in Folarin Balogun proved too good to be true, and having arrived at the perfect time to cash in.
Why did Arsenal sell Folarin Balogun?
Whilst the desperation for funds likely played a big role in sanctioning the of their promising 22-year-old marksman, given the £35m they would eventually recoup marked a huge fee for someone who had only made ten senior appearances for the Gunners, there were naturally other factors that fed into the deal.
Having enjoyed a blistering loan spell with Stade Reims, where he scored 21 goals across 37 Ligue 1 showings, the young American had truly put himself on the map.
His manager during that period, Will Still, would unsurprisingly rush to praise the man who was spearheading his unlikely push for Europe: "He’s unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person. He’s trying to learn the language – we have a bit of banter because his French is terrible (but) I think he realises: being good here will allow him to get the spotlight and attention he needs."
Stade Reims' former loan striker Folarin Balogun.
Having now moved permanently, his language learning will certainly have to improve, as he seeks to maintain that newfound spotlight by continuing his fine form.
So, upon returning to the Emirates, he was bound to want more play time, which was a concern he has voiced since leaving: "Football is a competitive sport, and of course, the manager sometimes makes choices: sometimes there are opportunities for some players, and sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I wanted to play, I wanted to prove to people that I can compete at this level."
"I think the decision was natural, but I wouldn’t say there is any regret. As a young player, I want to play".
Clearly, with Gabriel Jesus returning from injury and Eddie Nketiah viewed as a solid backup, a starting first-team spot was massively unlikely. Whilst the sale was hardly received well, as few fans enjoy seeing academy stars offloaded, it was one which Arteta sought to justify: "We didn’t have space for him in the squad to give him the minutes that he needs.
"He was doing well last year in his loan period. He’s evolving the right way and wanted the chance to continue developing his career. He’s going to a really good club that has huge experience of developing talent, as everybody knows. So I’m really happy for him as well."
How is Folarin Balogun playing?
Since making last season's loan permanent, Balogun has shown little signs of slowing down. Even if Arteta's men may be flying too, as they sit top of the Premier League alongside rivals Tottenham Hotspur, they would certainly benefit from the exploits of the youngster, especially given the mini injury crisis suffered recently.
Seeing Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both absent from the starting XI in that aforementioned win over Pep Guardiola's outfit, a new setup had to be enforced which saw Jesus pushed out to the left wing, with Nketiah through the middle.
Whilst the former is a passable option, the latter cannot be trusted to lead the line for an extended period of time, with former Gunners defender Gael Clichy supporting such a notion: "Arsenal need a backup for Jesus, someone young who can push him to score more goals.
"Eddie Nketiah has scored some big and important goals for Arsenal, but he's not as good as Gabriel Jesus. Nketiah has proved he can be a difference-maker, but I don’t know if he's a player who can take Arsenal to the title. That's why I think Mikel Arteta should bring a top backup striker to compete with Jesus."
Unfortunately, they already had one in Balogun, who has managed to post three goals and one assist in five Ligue 1 games, boasting a conversion rate of 23%.
How good is Gabriel Jesus?
This kind of form even puts Arsenal's Brazilian forward to shame, who despite having been deployed out of position on occasion, remains nowhere near as proficient as the four-cap international.
After all, whilst the former City star may have endured an injury-hit term last year, he was also largely very profligate, having scored 11 in the league from an expected goals of 14.16.
GK
Bernd Leno
LB
Kieran Tierney
CB
Ben White
CB
Pablo Mari
RB
Calum Chambers
CM
Granit Xhaka
CM
Albert Sambi-Lokonga
CAM
Emile Smith Rowe
LW
Gabriel Martinelli
RW
Nicolas Pepe
ST
Folarin Balogun
It seems that this campaign will be no different, as he only has one goal in the Premier League after six games. Given how the former City man started last season, recording nine goal contributions in his opening 11 league games, he faces an uphill battle to finish on an admirable tally.
Enduring such a low-scoring run of form unsurprisingly has seen his goal conversion rate drop to a lowly 14%, nowhere near that of Balogun's. Perhaps, had Arteta not been so quick to offload the forward, he might have provided some real competition for Jesus, and actually usurped him for a period had such profligacy continued.
Although the funds they received marked a massive sum, coming at an incredibly useful time, in the long run it could actually prove to be a thoughtless move that might have set them back in the striker department.