Tammy Abraham nets double to help Jose Mourinho’s Roma beat Lazio, making her the first English player to score in a Rome derby since Paul Gascoigne in 1992.
After Lorenzo Pellegrini’s in-swinging corner came back off the bar, Abraham hooked in the opener inside a minute.
Pellegrini sealed the points with a fantastic 25-yard free-kick after acrobatically volleying in a close-range second from Rick Karsdorp’s cross.
With the win, Roma moved up to fifth place in Serie A, ahead of Lazio.
With eight games remaining, Mourinho’s team are eight points short of the Champions League positions, while Lazio are two points farther back.
Abraham became the first Englishman to score 14 goals in a Serie A season since Gerry Hitchens for Inter Milan 60 years ago at the age of 56 seconds.
Following Gascoigne’s goal for Lazio in 1992, the 24-year-old became only the second English player to score in a Rome derby.
He should have tied Trevor Francis’ record of being the last English player to score a hat-trick in Serie A, which he set in 1983, but he missed a fantastic chance midway through the second half.
Man of the Match
With his contribution to Roma’s win over Lazio, the former Chelsea striker equaled his highest goalscoring season of 15 goals, scoring twice in the first half. Both goals were scored in typical striker form, with the first being scored in the right place at the right time and the second being slammed home at the back post.
Under Mourinho, he’s had a fantastic debut season in Serie A, and he was the difference between the two teams on Sunday. It wasn’t just his goal-scoring ability that made the difference; it was also his role as Roma’s focal point going forward, with the majority of the ball passing through him.
Will Chelsea have second thoughts about selling Tammy Abraham?
Meanwhile, Chelsea supporters may be asking if Thomas Tuchel made a mistake by selling Abraham in the summer.
While most supporters believe Romelu Lukaku is a better player than Abraham, Abraham’s performances since leaving Stamford Bridge have proven he is a quality young attacker.
It wouldn’t be surprising if any of Europe’s elite teams considered a move for the brilliant centre-forward next summer if he continues to excel between now and the conclusion of the season.
