Tammy Abraham smashes Gabriel Batistuta record but Jose Mourinho issues fresh demand
Tammy Abraham scored twice as Roma claimed the local bragging rights with victory over Lazio on Sunday, taking his tally for the season to 23 goals in all competitions
Tammy Abraham has scored more goals in his debut season with Roma than any other player in the club's history after netting twice in Sunday's dominant 3-0 victory over Lazio.
The England striker, 24, scored a matter of seconds into the Derby della Capitale and added his second midway through the first half to keep Roma's slim chances of Champions League qualification alive, with Lorenzo Pellegrini grabbing the third. The Italian giants are eight points behind fourth-placed Juventus in the Serie A table with eight games remaining.
Abraham is the club's top scorer this season with 23 goals in 40 appearances having joined from Chelsea in a £34million transfer last summer. His double against Lazio - who are managed by former Blues boss Maurizio Sarri - pulled him clear of Stadio Olimpico icons Vincenzo Montella and Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 21 goals in their debut Roma seasons.
Former Italy international Montella's first season with the club came in the 1999/2000 campaign and Argentina hero Batistuta joined him the following term, helping Roma win the Serie A title. Abraham has surpassed the duo with many games to spare to justify Jose Mourinho 's decision to make him the most expensive English player to join an overseas club.
The legendary manager is an enormous fan of the Cobham graduate not only for his prolific rate of return in front of goal but also for his well-rounded contributions to the team. However, Mourinho is demanding Abraham maintains his level of performance throughout the run-in.
The Portuguese pointed to Abraham's performance in midweek - when he scored against Vitesse to send Roma through to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League - to claim he must press the opposition more.
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"When you all said that Abraham is fantastic I did not agree, because I know the potential he has and I know that he is capable of what he did today," Mourinho said after the victory over Lazio. "And I'm not just talking about the two goals, but I'm talking about how he played, how he pressed, how he won the ball back. Because, for example, against Vitesse he didn't do that as much.
"I demand a lot of Tammy because I know his potential. Today is what Tammy is capable of and he needs to keep playing like this. I don't mean the goals, because you can score one day and miss another, but he needs to have the attitude he showed today in every game."
Roma return to action after the international break with a trip to Sampdoria before the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt.