Gudmundsson came on in the 80th minute on his Lazio debut, and headed the winner in the 88th

Albert Gudmundsson had been a Lazio player for six days. He came off the bench in the 80th minute at Udinese overnight, and eight minutes later he headed in the goal that put his new club level on points with Roma and Inter at the top of Serie A.

Lazio won 2-1 at the Bluenergy Stadium overnight, having trailed since just after half-time. It is three wins from three for Gennaro Gattuso, who took the job on 23 June after his spell as Italy coach ended, replacing Maurizio Sarri.

Udinese led for 26 minutes

Jesper Karlstrom put the home side in front four minutes after half-time, finishing inside the box from Keinan Davis’ pass. Before that the game had been level in more than the score. Maduka Okoye pushed away a Mattia Zaccagni free-kick for Udinese, and at the other end Christos Mandas kept out Davis and Hassane Kamara.

Zaccagni was involved again for the equaliser. He found Davide Frattesi in space inside the area on 75 minutes, and Frattesi hit it first time into the roof of the net. Five minutes later Gattuso took him off. That is usually where a scorer’s evening ends and the story stops.

The substitute who had just arrived

Gudmundsson came on for Frattesi. He signed on deadline day, 1 September, on loan from Fiorentina for a reported €1 million, with a €12 million option to buy at the end of the season, and this was his first appearance for Lazio. In the 88th minute he headed in the winner.

The 29-year-old Iceland international spent two years at Fiorentina without settling, hampered by injuries and by the club changing coaches around him. He is a second striker by trade who can play wide, which gives Gattuso a way into the 4-2-3-1 he has favoured elsewhere.

Nine points, four goals

Lazio sit third on goal difference behind Roma and Inter, all three on nine points. What separates them is that Lazio have scored four goals all season and conceded one. Roma have scored ten. This is a team winning without much of a scoring habit yet, which is either an early-season warning or a sign that Gattuso has the back of the side right first.

Their summer recruitment was heavy. Frattesi, Josip Sutalo, Danilho Doekhi, Alfonso Pedraza and Andrea Pinamonti all arrived before Gudmundsson, and Pinamonti, a €12 million permanent signing from Sassuolo who took the number nine shirt, was withdrawn on 53 minutes at Udinese for Tijjani Noslin.

Udinese are 10th and even on goals

Udinese have four points from three games, five scored and five conceded. Losing a lead at home with 15 minutes left is the kind of result that decides how a mid-table season is remembered, and they also lost Jakub Piotrowski and Oumar Solet to injury during it. Karlstrom’s goal was the sort they will want more of, worked through the middle rather than hoped for.

For Lazio the question is simpler. Gattuso has a defence that has conceded once in three games, and a new attacker who scored on his debut.

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