The Dutchman's brace took him to five goals in Roma's opening two matches of the season, matching a scoring rate in the three-points-for-a-win era previously achieved only by Gabriel Batistuta for Fiorentina in 1997-98.
It also extended a remarkable run since his January arrival from Aston Villa: Malen has now scored 19 goals in his first 20 Serie A appearances, a tally bettered in league history only by Gunnar Nordahl (20, in 1949) and José Altafini (20, across 1958 and 1959).
Speaking to DAZN after the match, Malen was reluctant to get carried away with talk of a title challenge.
"It's still a long way to go, there are too many matches left. We have to stay focused and approach every game with the same determination," he said.
Asked whether five goals in a game and a half made the fanbase's title dreams harder to dismiss, he stayed grounded.
"No, of course not. Dreams exist for a reason, everyone should dream. But we're very focused, game after game. We have to proceed with humility and keep working the way we are," Malen said.
The forward was also full of praise for teammate Emanuele Lulli, who has started Roma's opening two matches at right wing-back under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
"He's playing really well. He runs for us, creates chances, defends with real focus. We're very proud of him and we support him in every way we can. He's a lad who's making a fundamental contribution to the team," Malen said.
Malen's form has been central to AS Roma's perfect start, with the club yet to concede a goal in either of their opening two matches — a 4-0 win over Fiorentina followed by Monday's 4-0 rout at Lecce.
His five goals already put him among the division's leading scorers, well clear of the pack after just two rounds. Asked about the scudetto race more broadly, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has been careful to play down comparisons with Inter, whom he has repeatedly described as holding a head start on the rest of the division — a race Roma, for now, are simply trying to stay focused on one match at a time.