Nigerian international Ademola Lookman has called on his club Atalanta to sharpen their consistency and adopt a more ruthless edge after his first Serie A goal of the season during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw against AC Milan.
Lookman struck the equaliser in what was an important moment for him personally, but he was clear in his message to the Bergamo-based side about what lies ahead if they are to challenge for the top spots. “We know what we’re capable of,” he told reporters. “But capability alone is not enough we must show consistency across 90 minutes and a killer instinct to turn chances into wins.”
For Atalanta, the draw leaves them somewhat frustrated: they had opportunities to go ahead and take control, yet let Milan stay on level terms. Lookman’s contribution brought a spark, but his admonishment to the team underlines a wider concern. While the Nigerian star has shown flashes of brilliance, his remarks suggest he feels the squad isn’t yet delivering at the level their ambitions demand.
At the individual level the goal is significant for Lookman — a marker of his form and determination to be decisive in every match. But he also understands that football is fundamentally a collective pursuit. “I scored, yes, but now the focus is on what we do next. We’ve got to build on this, raise our performance and make sure we don’t drop points in games like this again,” he said.
With the league closing in and rivals pushing hard, Atalanta will need to heed Lookman’s observations translating moments of promise into sustained high-level performance if they are to live up to both their own and their supporters’ expectations.
For Nigeria, Lookman’s resurgence and his growing influence at club level is a positive sign ahead of international duties. His mentality, embodied in his comments about consistency and killer instinct, may also reflect the mindset he hopes to bring to the national team. As the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign looms, having a player who demands more from himself and his team can only be a boost.
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Atalanta will host their next Serie A fixture on the weekend, and all eyes will be on whether they can convert the momentum from Lookman’s goal into a full three-point haul. For Lookman himself, the task is clear maintain his scoring touch, step up in big moments, and help his club become the relentless force he insists they can be.
If you’d like, I can pull together match statistics, expected goals data, and how Lookman’s performance compares to previous seasons.