Chelsea attacking player Christian Pulisic will be the first to tell you, he’s had a difficult second season at Chelsea. Missing a lot of matches due to a chronic hamstring injury, the rustiness that came along with all the time spent on the sidelines, the drop in form that accompanied it.
And of course, the loss of confidence as a side effect of all that is listed above. It’s a negative domino theory for sure, but the snowball effect can happen on the upside, as well as the downside. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel sees Pulisic turning the corner lately, stating that the American is learning to trust in his body more, and finding more self-esteem again, as he should.
FA Cup Semifinal Chelsea vs Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday Apr 17, 8pm, Wembley Stadium
Team News: Chelsea Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Manchester City
Series History: Manchester City wins 59 Chelsea wins 68 Draws 39
Odds: Manchester City -130 Chelsea +240 Draws +350
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup semifinal clash against City, Tuchel said: “He made huge progress, he was fantastic in the last games and maybe I cannot explain it better — to be calm, to trust himself in terms of injury, in terms of his full fitness, capability and bit more calm and self-confidence and being aware that I trust him and these things.
“This is important for him to show his full potential. Once he is aware that he is a huge player and he has now big performances because he has a huge impact physically and in terms of quality, dribbling runs, arriving in the box in crucial moments.”
The proof is in the pudding lately- Pulisic has been the man of the match in Chelsea’s last two cup competition matches. In midweek, he broke Lionel Messi’s record for the most times an individual player has been fouled in a single UCL match.
Christian Pulisic was awarded the Player of the Match as Chelsea move on to the Champions League semifinals ? @brfootball pic.twitter.com/F68SSIn35j
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 13, 2021
Maybe he really is, as his nickname suggests, the Pennsylvanian Messi. With three goals in his last two league matches, he’s regaining his league form lately as well.
“He stepped up and this is what I know from him and I am very happy about this in the last weeks and games,” Tuchel added.
Indeed he really has. Maybe March-April 2021 is is the story of how Pulisic got his groove back
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.