Five things we learned from Roma's emphatic win over Palermo

Roma secured a comprehensive 4-1 win over Palermo on Sunday. Three points and four goals … so our columnist looks at five key points from the contest.

Roma now just two points behind Juventus

Roma's thumping 4-1 victory over Palermo now sees them move to within just two points of league leaders Juventus, following the Bianconeri's loss to AC Milan on Saturday night. Having now won their last three Serie A matches in a row, which also included excellent wins over Inter Milan and Napoli, Roma's season is really starting to take shape.

While Luciano Spalletti was full of praise for his troops, he remained adamant that there's still plenty of room for improvement.

“It was a great victory, we took the opportunity to gain a few points on the league leaders," Spalletti said. "It was important to build on our previous victories in the league.

"Our foundations are stronger than what we've shown before. The players still need to produce something extra, partly because it's obligatory for us to win here."

Roma pressing finds a rhythm

In the first half especially, Roma did a commendable job of pressing Palermo to ensure they found life very challenging to pass out from the back, as is their manager's desire. Through their well-organised man orientated marking scheme, Spalletti's men successfully compressed the pitch, which really asphyxiated the away side's best efforts to implement Roberto De Zerbi's passing game.

Radja Nainggolan was particularly excellent in this regard, with his relentless aggression and intensity seeing him win six duels and make six ball recoveries.

Attacking the middle works wonders

Spalletti's decision to instruct his wingers, Mohamed Salah and Stephan El Shaarawy, to frequently venture infield worked wonders throughout the win over the Sicilians. Not only did this create space for the fullbacks to push forward into, but it crucially allowed Roma to overload the dangerous 10 spaces. By doing so, this meant Edin Dzeko, Nainggolan, Salah and El Shaarawy could all combine neatly within close proximity, which successfully shifted the Eagles' defensive structure and placed confusion into their defenders' mind as to who should go to who.

As a result, Roma were able to manufacture a glut of chances from central areas. The fact Roma's first, third and fourth goals all arrived following their clever utilisation of the centre underlined how handsomely this strategy paid off.

Dzeko passing opens up the play

Dzeko's crafty link up play in tight positions, in tandem with his capacity to play well measured through balls, was a vital factor why the aforementioned tactic worked so well. By frequently dropping off the frontline, the Bosnian acted as a terrific link between midfield and attack, where his underrated one- and two-touch passing game and expansive overall range of passing combined to really animate his team's attacking forays.

The deft assist he provided for Salah's goal gave a glowing reflection of his distribution quality. In addition, the forward also notched his ninth goal of the campaign, in what's been a very positive opening few months of the season for the 28-year-old.

El Shaarawy taking his chance to shine

Stephan El Shaarawy seized the momentum provided by his two goals in the Europa League against Austria Wien by grabbing another timely strike against Palermo. It's been great to see the tricky attacker make the most of his recent opportunities, as he's given Roma another dimension in the final third, with his unpredictability on the dribble and sharp finishing unquestionably bringing an extra layer of menace to Spalletti's side.

Unsurprisingly, the Italian international was in a jubilant mood when speaking after the match, saying: "As I mentioned in the pre-match press conference before the Austria Wien game, I've always tried to train well and offer what I can.

"All this hard work is paying off, so I'm pleased. Let's continue in the same way."