Donyell Malen has scored more goals than any other player in Europe's top five leagues since leaving Aston Villa. The Netherlands international, who joined Roma eight months ago, has found the net 20 times since his debut on 18 January.
His remarkable scoring run in Serie A surpasses the totals of Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and every other star across the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 in the same period. Malen has also provided three assists in his 25 appearances for the Italian club, giving him 22 direct goal involvements.
This marks a dramatic personal revival for a player who managed just 10 goals and two assists in 46 games for Aston Villa. At Villa Park, he averaged a goal every 149.8 minutes, a rate that has accelerated to one every 96.7 minutes in Rome. The key change has been his position on the pitch.
A change in role
At Roma, 99% of Malen's league minutes have come as a central striker, the focal point of Gian Piero Gasperini's attack. During his time with Aston Villa, he was deployed as a central striker in only 52% of his Premier League minutes, often being used across the frontline instead.
French football journalist Julien Laurens highlighted the transformation. "He has been incredible since January," Laurens said. "He has been really efficient, super clinical. Malen is at the heart of everything they do with the ball."
The resurgence is considered one of the most notable revivals in European football this year. While Malen thrives in Italy, his former club faces a challenging start to the new Premier League season. Aston Villa currently sit 19th in the table with just one point from their opening four matches, having scored only one league goal while conceding seven.
Their recent form shows two wins, one draw and two defeats from the last five games across all competitions. The most recent result was a 3-1 victory away to Coventry City, with Tammy Abraham scoring twice. The club's next test is a trip to face 17th-placed Tottenham on Saturday, 19 September.
Villa's current struggles underline the difficulty of replacing a consistent goal threat. The club's extensive injuries list, which includes Amadou Onana, Brian Madjo and Pau Torres, has also hampered their early campaign. Malen's prolific form in a different role and league serves as a stark contrast to the attacking issues Unai Emery's side are trying to solve as they look to climb away from the relegation zone.
This story first appeared at BBC Sport Football
