Victor Osimhen played a significant part in Napoli setting a new record for Serie A goals with 11 games remaining, as the Partenopei brushed aside 4-0 Torino at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, and became our Player of the Week on Matchday 27 of the 2022/23 campaign.
The Neapolitans left the pitch in Turin having reached 71 goals for the season, with the Nigerian international bagging a goal in each half, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also netted a 35th-minute penalty and Tanguy Ndombele completed the demolition of the Granata.
Osimhen rising high
When Osimhen rose above the Torino defence to head home the opener and later sent a deep Mathias Olivera cross past Vanja Milinkovic-Savic with his forehead once more, the 24-year-old became the first Napoli player to have scored seven in a campaign since records began in 2004/05.
Having also overtaken Samuel Eto’o as the top-scoring African player in a single season, with 21 goals and plenty of games still to come, there are still some Partenopei records to be broken. With Gonzalo Higuain the only other person to have netted in six consecutive away fixtures, Lecce will not be looking forward to Matchday 29.
Can he break Higuain’s record?
With a seven-goal lead over Lautaro Martinez of Inter in the race to become Capocannoniere, there are few that doubt the Nigerian will end the season as the Serie A top scorer, but could he yet reach Higuain’s 36-goal tally with Napoli in 2015/16.
Only the Argentine, Edinson Cavani and Dries Mertens have hit the 20-goal mark under the ownership of Aurelio De Laurentiis and Osimhen will have to improve on his own phenomenal average of 0.9 goals per game to surpass Higuain.
The Partenopei also have a favourable looking route to the Champions League final and will wrap the Scudetto up with plenty of games to spare. Therefore, the ex-Lille striker might also see coach Luciano Spalletti rest him for continental competition and reduce his chances of yet another record.
