Milan – and their under-pressure manager Paulo Fonseca – simply had to win on Sunday Madonna’s Derby and Christian Pulisic made sure they did. The Americans dribble and finish to open the scoring against Inter after just 10 minutes set the tone for the RossoneriIt was the highlight of the match and Pulisic was also the best player on the pitch.
Milan fans are used to Pulisic being their best player by now. The winger scored 20 goals (12 goals and eight assists) in his first Serie A season and has started this season in even better form, with three goals and two assists in just five games. Fonseca has endured a rocky start as Milan manager, but it would have been a lot worse if Pulisic hadn’t been there.
Pulisic is considered the biggest American star of his generation since his breakthrough at Borussia Dortmund as a teenager, but his career path has been a winding one. Chelsea was not the right club for his development. The only thing that made up for Pulisic’s false start at Stamford Bridge was injuries.
Ultimately, though, Pulisic has become the player we all thought he would be. He is the best in the U.S., perhaps the best ever. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey might have something to say about that, but no American has ever performed at the level Pulisic has for Milan. He has never been better.
The numbers bear this out. Pulisic’s current average of 2.8 key passes per 90 minutes is a career high, with only one player in Serie A averaging more this season. His progressive carries are up (4.5 per 90 minutes from 3.8), as are his tackles (1.5 per 90 minutes from 1.2). It’s not just Pulisic’s attacking prowess that stands out, but also his defensive work rate.
Stefano Pioli’s transition-oriented approach served Pulisic well as he settled into a new club – and country – last season. Milan favoured playing in open space, which suited the American, who was often denied that space to operate in at Chelsea. Fonseca, however, has traditionally favoured a more possession-oriented approach. There have been concerns about Pulisic’s suitability.
Fonseca made comments about using Pulisic as a No. 10 in the summer, which would move him more to the centre of the pitch. This spoke to the Portuguese’s tactical uncertainty about the players he had inherited, but also to Pulisic’s importance to the Rossoneri. If there is one player Milan would like to have more influence in the central areas, it is Pulisic. They want him on the ball as much as possible.
After starting Pulisic at No. 10 in the opening game of the season, Fonseca quickly moved the American back to his usual position as a right winger. Sunday’s derby, however, saw the American make an impact through the centre. Indeed, it was clearly designed for Pulisic to play narrowly and exploit the space behind Inter’s defensive line. The trick worked.
This tactic may not work as well against other opponents, but Pulisic also showed his threat on the outside by scoring against Liverpool in the Champions League, just a few days before beating Inter. While Milan would go on to lose to Liverpool, Kostas Tsimikas was brutally punished for leaving the defender’s area as Pulisic scored to make it 1-0. The finish was an arrow into the far corner.
At Chelsea, Pulisic was often guilty of taking too many touches on the ball. He slowed down attacking moves in a way that limited his own threat. Since joining Milan, however, Pulisic has sped up his game. He makes quicker decisions and is putting up better numbers as a result. At his current pace, Pulisic will break the 20-goal barrier for the first time in his career this season.
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The fast and furious Pulisic is the best version of Pulisic. There is a fire burning inside the 26-year-old, and it was evident not only in the directness of the two goals against Inter and Liverpool, but also in the celebrations afterwards. Every time that fire has gone out, so has Pulisic’s ability to decide a game. He plays best when he is piqued.
Mauricio Pochettino will have been following Pulisic’s recent exploits with interest. The Argentine will lead his first training camp as the new head coach of the U.S. men’s national team next month, and Pulisic will be there, barring injury. He’s a central pillar for the U.S. national team. At a time when the development of several of the nation’s best players has stalled (see Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun), Pulisic is bucking the trend, which is just as far ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The burden of expectations has weighed heavily on Pulisic for years, but now he has no problem shouldering it for club and country. It may have taken him longer to get to this point than originally anticipated, but the best player in the United States is also one of the best in a Big Five European league for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Pulisic has done it.