Jones does not see 'huge change' from Premier League to Serie A
Inter midfielder Curtis Jones does not believe "there's a huge change" between the Premier League and Serie A.
Inter midfielder Curtis Jones does not believe "there's a huge change" between the Premier League and Serie A.
Jones, who has missed Inter's last four matches with a thigh injury, joined the Nerazzurri this summer from Liverpool, where he rose through the ranks.
The 25-year-old has featured just five times for Cristian Chivu's side this season, with two of those appearances coming as a starter, and he is yet to score or assist.
Although Inter have 19 points on the board after seven games, 10 of those have come from losing positions. No side has gained more such points in their first seven matches of a season in Serie A's three-points-for-a-win era, level with Juventus in 2013-14 and Inter themselves in 2021-22.
They had to fight back to beat Bologna 3-1 last week, before overcoming Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in the Champions League in midweek.
And speaking ahead of Sunday's home clash with Fiorentina, Jones explained why he disagreed with some of the stereotypes about the quality of Serie A.
"I don't think there's a huge change [between Serie A and the Premier League]," Jones told DAZN.
"I feel the perspective of the league is that it's a slower league and that the standard is not as high.
"I can agree to an extent in terms of, the games are slower in a way, because of the way teams will play against us, but at Liverpool it was exactly the same.
"[We are] one of the best teams in the league, so I don't think other teams are going to come and try press us, they're going to sit in a low block and make it difficult for us."
Fiorentina have struggled so far in 2026-27, winning just four points from their opening seven Serie A games.
Players to watch
Inter – Hakan Calhanoglu
Calhanoglu has scored more goals against Fiorentina in Serie A than any other side (seven).
In the three-points-for-a-win era, only four midfielders have scored more goals against a single opponent in the competition: Cristiano Doni against Inter (eight), Andrea Pirlo against Parma (eight), Clarence Seedorf against Juventus (eight) and Marek Hamsik against Palermo (eight) and Bologna (nine).
Fiorentina – Cher Ndour
Ndour, who scored in his last game against Inter, is one of five players born in 2004 or later to have registered at least 30 line-breaking passes (41) and at least 30 ball recoveries (32) in Serie A this season, alongside Darryl Bakola, Reda Belahyane, Oumar Ngom and Alessandro Romano.
Form and head-to-head
Inter have won each of their four home games in Serie A this season, scoring 15 goals.
In the last 50 years, only three teams have won each of their first five home matches in a Serie A season while scoring more goals: Roma in 1990-91 (16 goals) and 2016-17 (17), Juventus in 2014-15 (17) and Sampdoria in 2017-18 (16).
Inter are also unbeaten in 16 of their last 18 Serie A matches against Fiorentina (W10 D6), winning four of the most recent six (D1 L1).
Fiorentina have lost all of their last three away Serie A games against Inter, after remaining unbeaten in three of the previous four (W1 D2).
The last time the Viola were defeated in more consecutive away league matches against Inter in Serie A was between 2001 and 2013 (12 straight defeats on that occasion).
Fiorentina have conceded the most goals in Serie A this season (17) and will face the league's best attack in Inter (21 goals); the Viola have conceded a goal every five shots on average, the worst ratio in the current Serie A campaign.