Former Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen has continued his extraordinary start to the Serie A season by matching a goalscoring feat last achieved by Francesco Totti.
Malen opened the scoring as Roma beat Torino 2-0 on Monday, helping Gian Piero Gasperini’s side maintain their perfect league record.
The Netherlands international has now scored six goals in four Serie A appearances this season.
That makes Malen the first Roma player since Totti in 2002/03 to reach six goals within the opening four league matches.
Donyell Malen continues remarkable form after Aston Villa exit
His current run is not a sudden transformation.
Malen scored 15 goals in 20 appearances after initially joining Roma from Villa in January, convincing the Italian club to complete his permanent signing in May. Roma confirmed Malen’s permanent transfer and four-year contract after his prolific loan spell.
Villa’s decision to sanction the move nevertheless looks increasingly interesting.
Malen had struggled to establish himself as a guaranteed starter under Unai Emery, scoring 10 goals in 46 appearances after his £21million move from Borussia Dortmund.
When Roma initially pursued him, Malen was understood to want regular football as a centre-forward. Sky Sports reported that Roma offered Malen assurances over playing regularly through the middle.
That context matters when assessing whether Villa made a mistake.
Malen has been given a central role in Rome and is producing remarkable numbers as a result.
Villa had legitimate reasons to restructure their attack, and Read Aston Villa previously examined how their forward options changed following Malen’s departure.
But with Malen now scoring at a historic rate, his £21.6million permanent transfer is beginning to look like outstanding business for Roma.
