Three goals and two assists after six Serie A games. At least one goal or assist in his last three Serie A matches. If there’s one Giallorosso who’s in red-hot form right now, it’s Matias Soulé. Starting
all eight games this season, Gasperini is clearly relying on Matias as the main player up front to create magic, wreak havoc, and score crucial goals. Mostly due to Paulo Dybala and Leon Bailey’s absences and Pellegrini’s slow integration into the team, but Soulé in Gasperini’s 3-4-2-1 has worked wonders so far.
It wasn’t very attractive, and he’s still a long shot compared to Francesco Totti or Antonio Cassano, but ask yourselves: where would Roma be in the standings without Soulé? Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk still need to show us who deserves that striker spot more, as neither has convinced the fanbase. Stephan El Shaarawy seems like an extra body to sub in after 75 minutes. Pellegrini started strong with a goal against Lazio and an assist versus Nice, but has been average since then. Dybala and Bailey, well, we know where they’ve been hanging out lately.
One missed penalty against Lille is the only dark chapter in Soulé’s season so far. After two failed attempts from Dovbyk, you can imagine how much pressure was on Soulé’s shoulders at that moment. It was a poor performance from the entire team anyway. Luckily, in the other games, we could rely on Soulé to deliver the goods as one of the support strikers in Gasperini’s 3-4-2-1 system. Clearly, the Soul(é) Train is moving, and Soulé is showing his talent and quality to Italy and beyond.
Thanks to his stats and Roma’s surprisingly strong start in Serie A, Matías’ market value is rising, hitting a high of €35M, according to Transfermarkt. This is what we hoped for when Gasperini arrived: to make the attack thrive, while turning players like Soulé into stars, just as he did with players like Gianluca Scamacca, Rasmus Hojlund, Charles De Ketelaere, and Ademola Lookman, among others. Focus on boosting our players’ value instead of selling them cheaply or loaning them out without compensation due to a lack of offers. I always believed Soulé and Ferguson could be his next ‘projects,’ the latest in a long line of players Gasperini turned into stars.
When Dybala and Bailey return, let’s hope GPG manages to keep everyone satisfied and maintain their momentum. The international break provides a perfect opportunity to focus on fine-tuning details, improving fitness, and welcoming back the missing players. Dybala and Bailey can motivate Matias to elevate his performance; a bit of healthy competition can be beneficial for everyone.
Soulé and Bailey in a wider 3-4-3 formation? Soulé and Bailey behind Dybala as a false 9? Soulé and Dybala behind Ferguson? There are some interesting options when everyone’s available, and the first real test is coming up as Inter visits the Olimpico after the break (Lazio this season is clearly not a top 6 side).
One thing is certain: Soulé will start again, and we can expect at least one goal or assist. Big matches demand big players and key moments. This season might be special for both Roma and Matias. Opponents will now watch the Argentinian closely — the downside of his rising profile.
Maybe it’s time to bring back an old adagio at Chiesa: We have Soulé and you don’t.
