No player in Europe's top five leagues has scored more goals than Donyell Malen since his Roma debut in January.

The contrast with his time at Aston Villa could hardly be greater. In 46 appearances for the Premier League club, the 27-year-old scored 10 goals and registered two assists. Since joining Roma, he has scored 21 goals and provided three assists in just 25 matches. His scoring rate has improved from one goal every 149.8 minutes at Villa to one every 96.7 minutes in Rome.

But Roma's success with Malen may owe as much to how he is being used as to any change in confidence or form. At Villa, Malen was often used across the frontline and spent only 52% of his league minutes as a central striker. At Roma, 99% of his Serie A minutes have come through the middle under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, making him the focal point of the attack.

After Roma's 1-1 Champions League draw with Fenerbahce, French football journalist Julien Laurens told Match of the Day the Dutchman had become central to Gasperini's plans.