Kenneth Taylor delivered one of his most complete performances of the season as Lazio midfielder tore through Sassuolo in a 6-2 away victory, a result that keeps the biancocelesti second in Serie A with 25 points from nine matches — eight wins, one draw, and no defeats.
The significance of that night at the Mapei Stadium extends well beyond the scoreline. Lazio's defensive record this season — seven goals conceded across nine matches — speaks to a structural solidity that Gattuso's side has built from the back, but it is the attacking output, 22 goals scored, that marks them as genuine title contenders. Taylor sits at the centre of that creative engine, and a performance rated highly enough to earn top billing in post-match player ratings underlines how central he has become to Gattuso's plans.
The 24-year-old Dutchman has registered two goals and one assist across nine Serie A appearances this campaign, carrying an average match rating of 7.01. Those numbers are modest in isolation, but they understate his influence. Taylor's decisive contribution in the 2-1 home win against Parma three days before the Sassuolo match — a result that had briefly lifted Lazio to sole leadership — showed a player capable of producing in tight, pressured moments. Against Sassuolo, with space to operate and opponents reduced to ten men, Taylor's quality had room to breathe.
Gattuso, who before the Sassuolo match acknowledged the weight of Lazio supporters making the trip and expressed pride in the club's following, has built a squad that functions as a collective rather than leaning on individual brilliance. Taylor fits that template: consistent rather than spectacular, reliable rather than erratic. His AI overall of 72 out of 100, with a potential of 78, suggests a player still ascending — not yet at his ceiling, but already operating at a level that is shaping a title race.
Inter's narrow win against Venezia on the same matchday means the Nerazzurri have re-joined Lazio at the top of the table. The gap between the two clubs is now the finest of margins, and the matches ahead will demand exactly the kind of disciplined, high-output football Taylor has been providing. Nine matches in, the Dutchman is no longer a question mark in this squad. He is part of the answer.