Christian Pulisic, AC Milan’s forward, performed a skilful manoeuvre striking up comparisons to Marco van Basten, scoring a magnificent goal across the ground from an acute angle during the recent match against Fiorentina. Despite this athletic achievement, Milan lost the match 2-1, marking their second consecutive defeat. While post-match conversations often revolve around the impressive play, Milan’s head coach Paulo Fonseca had much of his talk focused on the two penalties which Pulisic, as Milan’s designated taker, missed.
The task of handling the penalties fell to Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham, both of whom also failed, causing Fonseca to express his irritation at this deviation from team orders. Despite the team’s loss, Pulisic’s goal performed at the game was technically one of his best since his move to Italy a year ago. His most important goal to date occurred last month when he became the first American to score in the Derby della Madonnina, significantly contributing to Milan’s win against Inter, for the first time in two years.
Pulisic’s recent performances under Mauricio Pochettino, the new head coach for the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), have been impressive. Speaking ahead of the international matches against Panama and Mexico, Pulisic reflected upon his form, acknowledging the fluctuation footballers often experience in their careers. He expressed a desire to remain in the moment when things seem to be going well and credited his successes to the work he has put in throughout his life.
Additionally, Pochettino has concerns about Pulisic’s workload and the need to sometimes protect him. To this end, he shared that it is important to strike a good relationship with the club and ensure that when Pulisic really needs to be in form, he is happy, strong, and ready. Notably, Pulisic has been involved in the most goals (21 + 12 assists) in Serie A during his time in the league. He played in 44 games for Milan last season, clocking more than 4000 minutes of playtime for both the club and country.
Pulisic has emerged as a serious contender to become Milan’s best overall player this season. He has scored in four consecutive league games for the first time in Europe’s top five leagues. The consistency he has displayed is commendable, considering the turbulent start to the season Milan has had. Yunus Musah, his team-mate, commended Pulisic being the best attacking player for Milan and expressed hope for him to continue his favourable streak.
Despite some inconsistent performances, Pulisic’s overall play has been compelling, particularly in the match against Inter where he exhibited determination and aggression. Paulo Fonseca, in his conversation with DAZN, revealed that Pulisic’s participation in their play had become more effective due to his maturity, better understanding of the league and his team-mates. Furthermore, the coaching staff’s slight tweak to his position has also contributed to his heightened performance levels. Milan has seemingly found a great asset in Pulisic, whose skills and strong performance showcases the €20 million investment was worthwhile.
