Roma currently sit 3rd in Serie A after the opening seven games this season. Roma are one of four teams to remain unbeaten, joining Inter, AC Milan and city rivals Lazio.
With Serie A's best defence in the league, after conceding just three goals all season, it hasn't been their defender's that have taken headlines. However, Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala have received praise from around Europe.
Donyell Malen is thriving at Roma
After unperforming at Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa, Malen found himself needing a career resurging stint in Italy's capital. In Malen's 20 games whilst on loan with I Lupi he registered 15 goals which made Roma's decision to sign him on a permanent a no brainer.
The Dutch international has started this season as he ended last season. Nine goals from his first nine games in all competitions, including a brace against Real Madrid in their 4-3 home loss.
The former PSV striker is currently on track to finish the season with 51 goals in the Serie A alone, which would smash the previous record set by Higuain in the 2015-16 season and Immobile in the 2019-20 season.
A staggering 1.36 goals per 90 from Malen can see him make history whilst Roma look to win the Scudetto for the first time in 25 years.
Malen has also showed his versatility this season as he hasn't solely been focused on scoring for himself but rather linking play and creating chances for his teammates.
With two assists in his first three Champions League group stage games, Malen has displayed his joy for attacking in every aspect. With a 85% pass success rate in Serie A, the Arsenal academy bagsman has shown that he is technically fantastic, clinical in the box and can retain possession for his side.
Paulo Dybala continues to build his Roma legacy
Paulo Dybala is synonymous with elegance, his movement and ball control is only beaten by all time greats such as Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian made his name during his time at Palermo in two Serie A seasons and a promotion winning campaign in Serie B for the side in Sicily.
Juventus came calling and the attacking midfielder moved across Italy to join his new side in Turin. Seven fantastic years in Turin saw Dybala score in 39.25% of his games for the Bianconeri before moving to the capital to start his next step in his career.
In Dybala's four seasons in Rome, he has scored in 30.41% of his games for the Italian giants. The midfield magician has had double digit goal contributions in his past five season and if he continues his fine form this season he will become the first player to have six consecutive double digit goal contributions in the Serie A twice in his career.
He joined Roma legend, Francesco Totti, at the conclusion of the 2019-20 Serie A season and can do one better with a mere six assists.
The Dybalen shirt celebrates Roma’s attacking duo
When it comes to getting a player on the back of a shirt, fans need to be careful who they get in case the player underperforms.
However, one Roma fan had a genius idea to combine the two attacking talents' name and number to create a unique, never worn shirt to honour the duo.
The "Dybalen" name captures the excitement surrounding Roma’s attacking partnership, bringing together Malen’s direct running and goalscoring threat with Dybala’s creativity and technical quality.
While their individual performances remain the main measure of their impact, the fan-made shirt offers a playful reminder of how quickly supporters can turn a promising connection into a symbol of their club.
Whether the nickname becomes a lasting part of Roma fan culture will depend on what the pair produce together on the pitch.
If Malen continues to find the net and Dybala maintains his influence in the final third, "Dybalen" could become more than a clever combination of two names, it could represent one of the partnerships Roma supporters remember from this season.
