It has been a remorselessly exhausting summer across Europe as billions have been spent on new signings during the transfer window. While the English Premier League has cemented its dominant position by breaking its all-time spending record, it was Jose Mourinho's Roma who might have done the best business in Italy.

The Seria A giants offloaded some of their highest-paid players and snapped up a bevy of big-name free agents, such as Paulo Dybala, Andrea Belotti, and Nemanja Matic. The most eye-catching deal was obviously Dybala's move to the Italian capital after his contract expired at Juventus.

Former Roma boss Fabio Capello, one of the most esteemed football tacticians in Italy, even declared the Argentinian magician's much-anticipated arrival will turn the Giallorossi into title contenders. 

"Dybala is a great player, one of those who makes the difference. He will bring goals and assists, increase the offensive potential and can form a formidable trio with Zaniolo and Abraham," Capello told reporters ahead of the new season.

However, that was not the case. Dybala struggled to show composure in front of goal in his Roma debut against Salernitana in August. He was close several times but only saw his efforts narrowly sail over the bar or hit the post. The game finished 1-0, thanks to a lucky goal from Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante.

Things got worse in Roma's two outings this month. Mourinho's team first suffered a shocking 4-0 loss at the hands of Udinese, who caused a huge upset by outclassing their more illustrious opponents in every department. They then lost their second match in the space of a week with a surprise 2-1 defeat to Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets in their Europa League opener. 

Dybala impressed in both defeats and provided some attacking threats but could not conjure goals to prevent Roma from sliding further into chaos. The Europa Conference League winners found themselves repeatedly stung on the counter and were incredibly vulnerable in terms of defensive solidity.

On Monday night, Roma traveled to the Tuscan town of Empoli, where they aimed to arrest the losing streak. There is no doubt that it's do or die as three consecutive defeats would have put enormous pressure on Roma players and seriously dented their title ambitions.

Fortunately, though Roma didn't exactly look inspiring during this hard-fought encounter, Dybala rediscovered his shooting boots just in time. The magical moment came when Empoli managed to fend off a cross but their clearance fell straight to Dybala. The 28-year-old took a marvelous touch before curling a sensational effort into the top left corner.

Roma were pegged back two minutes before the break as Filippo Bandinelli's powerful header found the bottom right corner, but it was Dybala who came to the rescue again. He sent a perfect cross from the right deep into the second half, and Tammy Abraham duly arrived at the back post to score the winner.

It was quite a frustrating result for Empoli coach Paolo Zanetti. His low-budget team were on the verge of holding the Italian powerhouse to a famous draw, but the qualities of Dybala proved vital and shone through.

"We know Dybala. When you play against great teams, it's normal that there are champions who shift the balance," Zanetti told the press conference. "Dybala made the difference today, but I want to underline the spirit of my team because playing like this we'll lose very few games."

Mourinho must have heaved a huge sigh of relief after the victory. "Tonight, we refused to lose again. We did not want to make it three losses in a row," he said. "As a team, we're struggling right now. But I want to offer congratulations to Zanetti. He has a team that is difficult to play against."

At the end of the day, Roma went home triumphant despite failing to perform at their best once again. As long as they boast Dybala on their side, the Giallorossi will always have a chance to have the last laugh.