Como midfielder Samuele Ricci finds himself at the heart of one of Serie A's more compelling early-season stories: a 4-1 comeback victory away against Genoa in Week 3 that drew admiration even from the opposing bench, and a club sitting fourth in the table with seven points from three matches.

The significance of that result extends beyond the scoreline. Fàbregas's Como had already beaten Napoli before the trip to face Daniele De Rossi's Genoa, and the manner of the comeback — going behind before scoring four — prompted De Rossi to describe Como as the opponent who had impressed him most since taking charge. When a rival coach volunteers that kind of assessment unprompted, it tells you something about the collective quality on display. Ricci, 25, is part of the infrastructure that makes such performances possible.

His individual numbers through one Serie A appearance this season — no goals, no assists, a rating of 6.43 — are modest on the surface, but that framing misses the point of what a central midfielder in Fàbregas's system is asked to do. The coach has been explicit that Serie A is the priority, and the results so far — two wins, one draw, seven goals scored, three conceded — suggest a team that is both organised and capable of producing in transition. A midfielder who holds shape and recycles possession rarely accumulates the counting stats that catch the eye; he accumulates the conditions that allow others to.

The AI assessment of Ricci places his overall at 75 out of 100, with a potential of 82 out of 100. That gap is meaningful. At 25, he is not a project player in the speculative sense — he is a player entering the years when technical habits solidify into genuine authority. Fàbregas, who built his own career on exactly that kind of positional intelligence, is a credible steward of that development.

Como's position in the table — fourth, level on points with the clubs immediately above and below — reflects a squad that has not yet been tested by the grind of a full campaign. The schedule will tighten, the margins will narrow, and the players who keep their composure when the team is not at its best will define whether this start translates into something lasting. Ricci's profile suggests he is built for precisely that kind of sustained contribution rather than the spectacular.

The 4-1 win at Genoa is the loudest statement Como have made yet. Whether Ricci can grow into the dominant presence his potential score implies — asserting himself in the moments that matter, not just the comfortable ones — is the question the rest of this season will answer.