Kenneth Taylor, Lazio's 24-year-old midfielder, earned another prominent mention in the match ratings after the biancocelesti came from behind to beat Cagliari and move to the top of the Serie A table — alone, for the first time in sixteen years.
That detail carries weight. Lazio sit first with 28 points from ten matches, nine wins and one draw, having conceded just eight goals all season. Taylor's contribution to that record — two goals and an assist across ten Serie A appearances, with an average rating of 7.02 — reflects a player who has settled into Gennaro Gattuso's system rather than merely passing through it. He is not the loudest name in the squad, but the ratings tell a consistent story: he has been reliable when reliability has mattered most.
The win against Cagliari was a comeback, which adds a layer of significance. Gattuso's Lazio have now demonstrated they can absorb pressure and respond — a quality that separates genuine title contenders from early-season pretenders. Gattuso himself, speaking ahead of the match, was characteristically direct: without belief and determination, he warned, Lazio become a normal team. Taylor's performances suggest he has absorbed that message.
What makes Taylor's season particularly interesting is the gap between his current AI overall of 72 out of 100 and his assessed potential of 78. At 24, he is not a project; he is a player in the middle of his development curve, and the evidence on the pitch supports the idea that there is more to come. Two goals and an assist in ten league matches from a central midfielder is a meaningful return, but the rating average suggests his value extends beyond the scoresheet.
Lazio's next challenge is sustaining this. Gattuso's side have built something real — an unbeaten record, a defensive structure that concedes sparingly, and a midfield that contributes in both directions. Taylor sits at the centre of that balance. Whether the biancocelesti can hold the summit through the winter will depend on players like him continuing to perform at this level, week after week, without the adrenaline of novelty to carry them.