Donyell Malen Has Scored Five Goals in Two Games, Already Matching Serie A History

A parked Piaggio Ape, an espresso and a promise recorded for social media: "I'm staying in Rome." That video of Donyell "Bobby" Malen went viral three months ago. Now, with the ball rolling again in Serie A, it's clear why everyone in the Eternal City is still talking about him.

The Dutch center forward has scored five goals in his first two matches of the season, a tally that brings his personal count to 19 goals in 20 appearances since joining Roma on loan from Aston Villa in January. To put that in perspective: only two players in the entire history of Serie A scored more goals in their first 20 matches for a club. Gunnar Nordahl did it in 1949 and Jose Altafini in the 1958-59 season, both with 20 goals. And nobody had scored five goals in the first two matchdays since Gabriel Batistuta managed it with Fiorentina in 1997. That Argentine, incidentally, would go on to sign for Roma three years later and help the club win the Scudetto in 2001.

The comparison isn't a coincidence. For the first time in years, Roma looks like it has a squad capable of fighting for the title. With two wins, eight goals scored and none conceded, the team sits atop the table.

Nearly all of Malen's goals carry the same signature: clean finishing, one or two touches, and into the net. He needed just a single touch to score both his goals in the 4-0 win over Lecce on Monday, and on opening day, a 4-0 rout of Fiorentina, he even set up the first goal of his hat trick with a backheel assist.

He has that ability to control, turn, and accelerate all in an instant, extraordinary traits for a center forward.Gian Piero Gasperini

The shadow of Higuain and a transfer fee that no longer looks steep

Gasperini has a reputation for getting goals out of his forwards. It happened with Diego Milito at Genoa, and with Duvan Zapata, Gianluca Scamacca and Mateo Retegui at Atalanta. Now the name circulating for comparison with Malen is Gonzalo Higuain, who filled the net for Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus.

Yes, they share some similar attributes, though they're a bit different physically. Malen isn't as sturdy. But in terms of the speed of execution when controlling the ball and shooting, and that burst over the first few meters, they can be compared.Gian Piero Gasperini

At 27, the 25 million euros (about $29 million) Roma paid at the end of last season to make his move permanent is starting to look like a bargain. Curiously, that form didn't carry over to the last World Cup: Malen started all three of the Netherlands' group stage matches without scoring, and ended up on the bench for the penalty shootout elimination against Morocco.

The nickname "Bobby" has nothing to do with English soccer: it comes from an Italian tribute song to Bob Marley called "Bobbe Marley."

A transfer window to match the club's ambitions

Malen hasn't been riding this streak alone. Paulo Dybala assisted on all three goals against Fiorentina. The Argentine, who has battled a long injury history, took a pay cut in July to renew his contract with Roma.

The club also made big moves in the transfer market: forward Santiago Castro arrived from Bologna for 35 million euros (about $40 million), young Portuguese midfielder Rodrigo Mora came from Porto for 25 million euros ($29 million), and Argentine right back Nahuel Molina joined from Atletico Madrid for 13 million euros ($15 million). Roma also added Marten de Roon, from Atalanta, and Leonardo Balerdi, from Marseille, both former captains of their previous clubs. Gasperini, meanwhile, blocked the departure of Manu Kone, who according to reports had drawn interest from Chelsea.

Roma's next Serie A opponent is fittingly Atalanta, Gasperini's former club, this Saturday. Roma also returns to the Champions League for the first time since the 2018-19 season: it opens the group stage away at Fenerbahce before hosting Real Madrid in October, with Jose Mourinho, Roma's former coach, leading the visiting bench.

Meanwhile, in the club's offices, officials are working through the final bureaucratic steps to build the new stadium, with a key approval that could come this month. For now, Roma fans just want the goals from Malen to keep coming. And, if possible, another espresso or two.