Atalanta sit fourth in Serie A after 16 rounds of fixtures, the best start since Gian Piero Gasperini took over at the Gewiss Stadium.
The 3-2 win over Napoli helped Milan and Inter surpass the Partenopei and Atalanta are not four points behind the leaders.
The Orobici have strengthened their position in the top four with a gap of nine points down to Roma at fifth and it’s the first time Gasperini sits in the top four after 16 rounds of fixtures.
Gasperini has helped Atalanta to the Champions League and the Orobici have qualified for the knockout stages in their first two seasons in the competition but are still fighting to make it three in a row.
But there are encouraging signs of continuity and further growth in Serie A, as Gasperini’s men are still in the fight for the Scudetto.
Atalanta’s positions after 16 games under Gasperini:
2016-17: 6th, 28 points (finished 4th and qualified for the Europa League)
2017-18: 8th, 23 points (finished 7th and qualified for the Europa League qualifiers)
2018-19: 7th, 24 points (finished 3rd and qualified for the Champions League)
2019-20: 6th, 28 points (finished 3rd and qualified for the Champions League)
2020-21: 5th, 29 points (finished 3rd and qualified for the Champions League)
2021-22: 4th, 34 points