Christian Pulisic has hit the ground running with Milan since arriving from Chelsea in the summer, quickly proving himself after his disappointing end to life in West London, Apollo Heyes writes.
The 25-year-old American winger ended a four-year spell with the Blues in July when he left to join the Rossoneri in a deal worth around €20m. He put pen to paper on a four-year contract with an option for a fifth, looking to relaunch his club career after things went downhill with Chelsea.
Once a highly rated youngster with Borussia Dortmund, much was expected of Pulisic when he moved to the Premier League in 2019, but he never managed to hit the heights expected with Chelsea.
His last season with the Blues was particularly disappointing; the winger saw just 812 minutes of action in the league, scoring one goal and providing one assist in that time. A knee injury after the World Cup kept him sidelined for over two months.
That tournament in Qatar perfectly symbolised the Pulisic dichotomy. Even during a lull in his club career, the American was able to be decisive for his country, being a central figure in the American squad. At the World Cup, he scored a goal and provided two assists.
When the 25-year-old joined Milan in the summer, many fans expressed doubts, concerned that a perceived luxury player was being signed partly as a marketing exercise by owner Gerry Cardinale, who has made no secret of trying to increase the club’s market share in the United States.
It’s fair to say Pulisic has already dispelled those concerns. He has scored four goals and provided one assist in his first eight Serie A games, looking far more like the player seen with the United States than the one seen with Chelsea in recent years.
The graph above illustrates where Pulisic has impressed during his first eight league games with Milan, highlighting his strong form in front of goal, good aerial ability and important role in the club’s build-up play.
Despite taking a low number of shots on average, 1.59 per 90 minutes, he has been particularly threatening in front of goal, producing 0.25 expected goals per 90. This signposts his decisive ability in the penalty area, capable of finding the back of the net despite limited opportunities.
The American winger plays a central role in Milan’s build-up play, being on the receiving end of 9.05 progressive passes per 90, more than the majority of his positional peers. His clever off-the-ball movement and well-timed runs come into play here, helping him drive the team forward.
Comparing Pulisic’s stats to his last Premier League season with Chelsea (in red) show the strides he’s made since making the jump to the Lombardy capital. The most obvious difference is his ability in front of goal.
The American winger is scoring far more and producing better attempts on goal for Milan, despite taking significantly less shots and touches in the attacking penalty area than he did in his last year with Chelsea.
He is also proving more useful defensively with the Rossoneri, winning more interceptions, making more tackles and slightly more blocks than last season. His increased aerial presence, possibly due to the physicality difference between the leagues, also benefits Milan in both phases of the game.
Less than three months after his arrival at Milan, Pulisic is already flying high and now there’s nothing stopping him from becoming the star winger he once seemed destined to be, adding an exciting spark to Stefano Pioli’s squad.
Words: @ApolloHeyes
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