American winger Christian Pulisic seems to have recaptured his confident best since moving to AC Milan with his club and international form improving significantly.
As highlighted by Tuttosport (via Milan News), the former Chelsea seems to be enjoying his football much more at the moment after a positive start to the season.
He has managed to score four times in his first eight Serie A game, and that is a tally he hasn’t reached in a league campaign since the 2019/20 season when he had just signed for Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for a huge €64 million.
He is the first-choice starter on the right wing for Milan right now and he has cemented that place just in time for the huge match against Juventus in Serie A.
Thatis followed by huge games against both Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli, but he takes confidence into this period from his great goal against Germany for the USA.
As someone who followed and supported both Chelsea and Pulisic, separately, I was so disappointed with how things went between the club and player over the years. It was obvious Pulisic had untapped potential, that he could have contributed so much more under the right circumstances, and that his experience of Chelsea was mostly negativity.
Different players will react differently to feeling negativity, but Pulisic’s play was definitely impaired by his experience. He had so much more to give, and due to negativity from the coach (primarily Tuchel) combined with injuries coming at awful times–just at the wrong timing to trip him up and stop his momentum–combined with Chelsea constantly buying new wingers to supplant him, Pulisic never gave what he could have at Chelsea. Many remember how when he scored against Real in the CL Semis, he ran straight to the coaches, right past Tuchel, and hugged the assistant coach. It was telling about his experience of his time there. It was also telling last season during the World Cup, when Pulisic was continuing to suffer at Chelsea, that he was a top contributor in the USMNT’s run into the Round of 16, scoring the match winner against Iran and being a key contributor in the draw against England.
Notice how Pulisic talks to the press now about Pioli having belief in him, and how much that means to him. Pulisic needs that belief to thrive. He needs to be having fun. And he can pay it back in spades to the team and the supporters when they show faith in him. Milan has a special player on their hands, and I am delighted to see that they are treating him the way he needs to thrive.
Well said, agree 100%
100% agree, and would add that all the Chelsea haters somehow forget that it is through CP’s amazing run of form that Chelsea barely qualified for the Champions League which they won with his help. No CP, no Champions League title. Full Stop.