After four rounds of Serie A, Inter and Roma are sitting at the top of the table with a perfect 12 points, while Como have climbed into third place with 10 points. On the surface, the three clubs could hardly be more different. Inter are the reigning champions, Roma have started a new era under Gian Piero Gasperini, while Como are still one of the most unexpected success stories in Italian football.

However, there is one statistic that connects all three teams – they shoot. A lot.

Looking across Europe’s top five leagues, Inter lead the way with 25.0 shots per game, while Como are third with 22.5 and Roma fifth with 21.3. In fact, all three are inside the top five clubs in Europe’s top five leagues for shots per match at this stage of the season.

That immediately raises an interesting question: is their position at the top of Serie A connected to the sheer volume of shots they are producing? The answer is not as simple as saying that more shots automatically equal more points. But it certainly tells us something about how these teams approach matches.

Inter: create enough and eventually you score

Inter’s numbers are the most impressive.

They have taken 100 shots in four Serie A matches, averaging exactly 25 per game. No other team in the top five leagues has produced more. More importantly, Inter’s attacking volume is not dependent on one particular type of match.

They can dominate possession, attack through the wings, create combinations around the penalty area or simply increase the pressure when they fall behind. Their latest match against Udinese was a perfect example. Inter conceded twice early, but instead of losing control, they responded with five goals and eventually won 5-3. That ability to continue generating attacking situations is extremely valuable over a 38-game season.

You do not need every shot to be a great chance. If a team consistently gets into the final third, puts balls into dangerous areas and produces enough attempts, the probability of scoring increases. And Inter currently do this more than anyone else.

Roma: a different team under Gasperini

Roma’s numbers are particularly interesting because their attacking volume fits perfectly with what we would expect from a Gasperini team.The former Atalanta coach has built his career around aggressive football, intense pressing and getting large numbers of players involved in attacking phases.

Four games into the season, Roma have produced 85 shots, or 21.3 per game.

That puts them fifth across Europe’s top five leagues – and, perhaps more importantly, it puts them ahead of almost every other Serie A club. Roma have also been extremely efficient where it matters most: converting this attacking pressure into points. They have won all four league matches, most recently beating Torino 2-0. Donyell Malen scored the opener before Nicolò Pisilli sealed the victory in stoppage time.

The interesting part is that Roma do not necessarily need spectacular performances every week. A team that repeatedly creates 20+ shooting situations gives itself a much greater margin for error. Even if some matches are difficult, the underlying attacking volume keeps creating opportunities to win them.

And then there is Como

If Inter’s position is expected and Roma’s can be explained by their new manager, Como remain the most fascinating case. 90 shots in four matches means 22.5 per game.That puts Como third among all clubs from Europe’s top five leagues in this ranking, ahead of clubs such as Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

That is an extraordinary number for a club that only recently returned to the top level of Italian football. But it is also consistent with the football Cesc Fàbregas wants his team to play. They want the ball, they want to progress it and they want to finish attacks.

The club’s rapid transformation has been remarkable. After their rise through the divisions, significant investment has allowed Fàbregas to build a squad capable of competing for much more than survival. Their recent 4-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig was another indication of how far the club has come.

The common denominator

There is obviously a long way to go. Four matches are not enough to determine whether Como can remain near the top, whether Roma can challenge for the Scudetto or whether Inter will successfully defend their title.

But the early numbers tell us something.

And perhaps that is the most interesting conclusion from the opening weeks of Serie A: while possession, expected goals and finishing efficiency can tell us how a team creates its results, sometimes the simplest statistic can tell us where to start looking.

Inter, Roma and Como shoot more than almost everyone else – and right now, the Serie A table suggests that their willingness to keep shooting is paying off.