Dzeko continues to prove his worth as Roma win 3-1 at Napoli
MILAN (AP) - Roma forward Edin Dzeko has a point to prove.
He wasn't the striker Roma hoped for after it signed him from Manchester City in August 2015. Last season was full of disappointment.
But he's finally showing his ruthlessness in front of goal, with two more scores as Roma beat Napoli 3-1 on Saturday in a top-of-the-Serie A clash.
Dzeko, who also scored twice for Bosnia and Herzegovina midweek, has seven goals in eight league appearances this season - just one less than he scored in 31 appearances in his debut Serie A campaign.
He tops the scoring charts, one ahead of Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain, Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi, and AC Milan's Carlos Bacca.
"I've had preseason with the squad, I feel good, I feel everyone's confidence in me," Dzeko said when asked what had changed from last season. "I'm happy for myself and for the team which won a difficult match.
"The criticism was normal, it wasn't my best year. For that reason I wanted to do better this season and at the moment it's going good."
Dzeko netted his first two minutes from halftime when Mohamed Salah stole the ball off Kalidou Koulibaly at the byline and swung in a cross for Dzeko to volley home.
He doubled his tally nine minutes after the interval, placing a header into the bottom left corner from Alessandro Florenzi's free kick.
Koulibaly atoned for his earlier error by rising highest at the near post to head in a corner off the opposite upright, and getting Napoli straight back into the game.
But Salah sealed matters four minutes from time, beating the offside trap to race forward and fire in off the base of the left post.
It was Roma's first away win of the season, and the capital club leapfrogged Napoli into second spot, two points below Juventus which hosted struggling Udinese late.
Napoli is two points further back after its first league defeat at Stadio San Paolo since May 2015. It was clearly missing striker Arkadiusz Milik, who has had a great start to the season but was out for six months after tearing a ligament on international duty.
Pescara also plays later, at home to Sampdoria.