He appeared to have scored with a close-range header early in the second half of Napoli’s game at home to Roma, but Pierluigi Gollini clawed the ball out from inside the goal. McTominay got his noggin to the rebound, nudging it back across the line. Roma’s keeper pushed away again, so the Napoli midfielder got to his feet and smashed a shot into the back of the net.
You wait two months for your first goal of the Serie A season, then three show up at once. They only counted for one, of course, but McTominay looked happy enough with that as he ran to thank Matteo Politano for the assist. What a difference it makes to this Napoli team when their Scottish star is fit and firing.
McTominay was out of action for all of September, recovering from an ablation procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat – known medically as an arrhythmia. The condition was characterised by the club as mild and benign, and the medical intervention a complete success. Napoli had struggled in McTominay’s absence.
They continued to struggle right after his return, too. His first two starts back in the side came in defeats to Villarreal and Serie A’s last-placed team, Venezia – leaving the Partenopei with five losses from their first nine games in all competitions. The latter result prompted speculation about whether Massimiliano Allegri’s job as manager could soon be at risk.
A week later, McTominay is starting to change the narrative. His two goals in midweek helped Napoli to their first Champions League win of the season, 4-3 against Bodø/Glimt. On Saturday, he broke his Serie A duck and did everything in his power to deliver another win over undefeated Roma.
McTominay’s three-strikes-in-one had made it 2-0 in the 48th minute, building on Frank Anguissa’s glorious overhead opener. Perhaps McTominay’s willingness to attempt the audacious has been rubbing off on his Napoli teammates too, though the Cameroon international was a title-winner and essential figure before the Scot arrived in 2024. They could have been further ahead on Saturday.
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