If you had asked a Chelsea fan last year if Tammy Abraham would score 25 goals this season, I'm sure they would have struggled to answer. Whilst many of us who had watched him grow in his development stage knew that he would become a great striker, I'm not sure we thought it would happen so soon.
The England international has linked up with Jose Mourinho in Roma. Last night Abraham scored the only goal against Leicester City to see his team through to the UEFA Europa Conference League final. It was an emotional win for the Italians. It must have been even more emotional for the ex Chelsea forward, who has now made back to back European finals.
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Following Roma's win, a confident and overwhelmed Tammy Abraham via SkySports said, "I won last year the Champions League with Chelsea. Now I want to win the Conference League. I want to win a trophy every year. Mourinho is so important for me."
It's difficult not to feel a little hard done with his departure. Thomas Tuchel wasn't the biggest fan of Abraham's. It didn't feel like it was anything personal. It was as though he just wasn't the preference for the Chelsea boss at the time.
He's managed to turn things around and prove his critics wrong in his first season abroad. Different circumstances play into Tammy Abraham's success this season. The manager, the club, and the league's quality could all play a part. However, we cannot question the fact that he has a keen eye for goal, and Jose Mourinho is cultivating him into the striker he was tipped to become.
It only took 11 minutes for Tammy to score the only goal of the tie. A bullet header sent the ball past Kasper Schmeichel. It's somewhat ironic that Chelsea fans last season were rather frustrated with his lack of force when it came to headers in the box. In fact, it was seen as one of his weaknesses which probably contributed to the decision to let him go.
Tuchel opted for the Romelu Lukaku transfer last summer, which is still yet to pay off. Having paid around £98 million for Abraham's replacement, you'd expect him to at least be matching the output of his predecessor. Knowing that the Belgian has scored 13 fewer goals than the England international it's bound to leave a tase of regret.
Abraham could be about to lead Roma to their first trophy since 2008. Coincidentally the last time Tottenham had won a trophy too. Knowing Mourinho's impeccable record in cup finals, you would bet against the La Lupa's, who will play against Feyenoord. Mourinho would most definitely be up to show Tottenham exactly why you do not sack a manager of his calibre before a cup final, whilst Abraham will be looking to give Gareth Southgate a dilemma for that striker position in the England squad.
To be fair, Southgate cannot ignore the fact that Abraham has scored more goals (25) this season than any other English player in Europe's top five leagues.
