Christian Pulisic | After a slowish start is he now undroppable?
Christian Pulisic signed for Chelsea a year ago for big, big money with a growing reputation at Dortmund. With Eden Hazard leaving for Re...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2019/12/christian-pulisic-after-slowish-start.html
Christian Pulisic signed for Chelsea a year ago for big, big money with a growing reputation at Dortmund. With Eden Hazard leaving for Real Madrid, Chelsea needed to find someone to replace him and after a slow start, Captain America is showing signs that he is more than capable.
It's been great to hear the story told this week by Pulisic as he revealed that he was so excited about playing for Chelsea that he wore the shirt the club had given him when he signed all around the house. Having featured for the USA last summer, he also cut short his time off to join up with Frank Lampard and the Chelsea squad for pre-season earlier than expected. He started off by making an excellent impression.
As far as the football goes and life in the Premier League, we call all agree that despite some early involvement and an excellent assist for Mason Mount against Norwich away, Christian Pulisic had a slow start and found himself out of the side and on the bench. When questioned, Frank Lampard was open and honest about the situation as he is in every single press conference he gives to explain that he needs to continue to work hard to force his way in. The result? Rumours of discontent while away on international breaks for Pulisic as his frustrations with not being involved seemed to be the main focus as his performances for his country were good.
Back at Chelsea and the training ground at Cobham he continued to do as was asked, got his head down, was prepared to work hard to try and make an impression when he was given minutes on the pitch no matter how long that would be. Eventually, he would be given his opportunity to start for Chelsea and it's safe to say that since that point he has been a revelation.
When foreign players come to the Premier League from other countries you can pretty much give them a year to arrive, settle down, get used to life in England outside of the pitch and on it, to get used to the pace, power and physicality of our game. Some take longer but there are few that find themselves at home within months and Pulisic is one of those players. You look at how he started for Chelsea to how he is playing now and it's clear that he is growing in confidence every week which is great to see.
Who on earth could have predicted that he would score a perfect hat-trick against Burnley? Would score the goals he has so far this season and become the influence he is now from week to week?
Let me take you back to the Valencia game a week or so ago and a moment of magic from Pulisic that gave us all the first signs that he could become the natural replacement for Eden Hazard at Chelsea. Mateo Kovacic had just equalised to make it 1-1 shortly after they had taken the lead and Chelsea were in the ascendancy. Just minutes later, Christian Pulisic collects the ball in midfield, holds off a challenge or two, dances his way through their midfield, splits their defence, sucks them all towards him with the ball and then plays a magical ball wide left to Mateo Kovacic who, wide open strikes the ball towards goal for the goalkeeper to save it.
Class from Christian Pulisic. pic.twitter.com/3qEHtfZ0fj— Arthur Kogan (@TheRealArturK) November 27, 2019
It was an outstanding run and piece of skill and got all of us off our seats for the first time watching him in my view. As with plenty of other players at Chelsea this season, Christian Pulisic is playing with freedom to express himself - which we are seeing more and more of as each game passes. He is playing with confidence and as a result has become such an important part of our attacking set-up at the moment that in my view he is undroppable at this point.
There is still a long way to go for this Chelsea team under Frank Lampard and for Christian Pulisic this season but what an impression Captain America has made in recent months.
Let's hope it continues!
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/chelsdaft
Twitter: http://twitter.com/chelsdaft
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chelsdaft
