5 things we learned in Serie A this weekend: Watch out for Napoli

With another weekend of Serie A action in the books, we take a look back at some of what we learned from the latest slate of matches.

Napoli moves up the Serie A table

Don't look now, but Napoli is positioning itself for a title run. The Partenopei has Gonzalo Higuain playing for the team and Lorenzo Insigne firing at full health. Even their defence, for so long dragging down a team on the verge of something special, is starting to balance out. On top of scoring 18 goals in its past six matches in all competitions, Napoli has also conceded just once. If not for its slow start to the season, this club would be already challenging for first place. Much credit must go to coach Maurizio Sarri, who's needed little time to impose his attacking style of play.

Fiorentina keeps pace atop the league

Fiorentina has dealt with so much loss: injuries to Giuseppe Rossi; star players like Mohamed Salah, Mario Gomez, and Juan Cuadrado leaving for bigger clubs; and a major coaching change. Somehow, though, the club has not only managed to come together, but thrive. With six wins in seven Serie A games, Fiorentina is without a doubt the best team in the league. Coach Paulo Sousa has coaxed the best out of this bunch, including Borja Valero, who took a step backwards last year after an incredible first two seasons with La Viola. He scored his first goal of the season against Atalanta on Sunday, and is looking a lot like a protagonist in that midfield again.

Gervinho reminds Roma of his ability

Every time Gervinho hits the back of the net, it almost comes as a surprise. He is a streaky player, to be sure, but he is figuring his way back into the Roma squad after a contentious summer almost saw him sold abroad. Negotiations with United Arab Emirates club Al Jazira broke down in June, with his demands deemed too excessive. With four goals in his past three games, though, the 28-year-old has helped heal the wounds of an injured team, and is recovering the form he lost last season.

Inter still struggling to score on a consistent basis

The stats, in this case, tell the story: Inter Milan hasn't managed to score more than one goal in all but one game in this Serie A campaign. It's a concern for a club that did a lot to re-tool its offence and alleviate the pressure on last season's top scorer, Mauro Icardi. An injury to Stevan Jovetic slowed down the attack, while promising winger Adem Ljajic sits on the bench. It appears coach Roberto Mancini has spent a lot of money simply to eke out results, and that plan is starting to show signs of failure. The Nerazzurri attempted 17 shots in a 1-1 draw against Sampdoria on Sunday, but only seven of them hit the target. Midfielder Fredy Guarin missed a big one, too. Their finishing has to improve if they want to avoid dropping more points.

AC Milan fails yet another test

AC Milan is not yet in crisis, but there is a lot to do before this club even dreams of challenging for the top spots in Italy again. A brutal 4-0 loss to Napoli on Sunday exposed the Rossoneri for what they are: An incomplete team with a shaky defence and a midfield without inspiration. Carlos Bacca was completely isolated, and captain Riccardo Montolivo was inaccurate with his passes. Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic need not worry about his job just yet, but he has to come up with a solution - and perhaps a different formation than the 4-3-1-2 - for a squad that cost nearly €100 million to assemble this summer.