African Footballer of The Year, Ademola Lookman marked his return to Atalanta’s starting lineup with a crucial goal in their 3-2 victory over Empoli on Sunday, helping extend La Dea’s lead at the Serie A summit to two points.

The Nigeria international, who paraded his CAF award before kick-off at the Gewiss Stadium, netted just before half-time to put Atalanta 2-1 ahead after falling behind to an early Lorenzo Colombo strike.

“Hungrier than ever. Big win,” Lookman wrote on social media after the match, which extended Atalanta’s club record winning streak to 11 consecutive Serie A victories.

The 27-year-old has been in scintillating form this season, with nine goals and four assists in 14 league appearances. His overall tally stands at 12 goals and five assists across all competitions.

His goal against Empoli came at a crucial moment, with the forward converting from a tight angle after Nicolò Zaniolo nodded down Charles De Ketelaere’s cross just before the interval.

The strike proved vital as Empoli would later equalise from the penalty spot before De Ketelaere’s winner secured all three points for the league leaders.

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini praised his team’s resilience after the hard-fought win.

“I think it all comes from our energy and team spirit. Even when it’s not our best day, we still have the belief we can win to the last minute. That mentality makes the difference, we never give in,” Gasperini said.

“We fought back against a team that came here to play good football. Despite all that, we showed character and the desire to win. It was a deserved victory in the end.”

The win ensures Atalanta will spend Christmas at the Serie A summit for the first time in their 116-year history, continuing their remarkable campaign following an impressive 2023/24 that saw them claim their first European trophy through Lookman’s historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.

“Now we are top of the table for Christmas, it’s an extraordinary result. We hope 2025 can be as wonderful as 2024, but we’ve got to keep this mentality going,” Gasperini added.

Lookman’s impressive performances have seen his stock rise considerably, with his market value jumping from €30m at the end of 2023 to €55m, making him Nigeria’s second most valuable player behind Victor Osimhen.

His remarkable year included three goals and two assists as Nigeria reached the Africa Cup of Nations final in February, while his Europa League heroics in May helped cement his place among football’s elite, culminating in a 14th-place finish in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.

The forward’s triumph at the CAF Awards made him the seventh Nigerian to win the prestigious honour, following in the footsteps of Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, and Osimhen.

His continued excellence has attracted interest from several European giants, with Liverpool recently seeing an approach rejected by Atalanta, who are determined to retain their talisman.

“Our plan is not to change anything in the January window,” Atalanta President Antonio Percassi recently stated amid growing speculation about Lookman’s future.

The Nigerian’s immediate focus remains on maintaining Atalanta’s remarkable run as they aim to secure their first-ever Serie A title, having already made history by qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Europa League in 2024.

Credit: punchng.com