Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic is already flipping the narratives around him

Christian Pulisic has not yet played for Chelsea but he has already started flipping the narratives that surround his transfer.

Many balked at the idea of spending just over £57 million for Christian Pulisic. Many pointed out that he was a “bench player” for Dortmund, behind Jadon Sancho. Many more cried that he was bought simply because he was American and that he was a marketing stunt to replace Eden Hazard.

Pulisic has spent much of the previous season injured. As he returned to fitness, he slowly started to find more minutes. With those minutes, Pulisic started to show the world why Chelsea was willing to play so much for him.

Now the narrative seems truly flipped. Fans are passing around highlight videos of Pulisic’s goal, two assists, and excellent dribbling against Trinidad and Tobago. He has not played for Chelsea yet but he has already started to flip narratives.

It is not just games against Trinidad and Tobago that are changing minds. It is the form he closed the Bundesliga with. Slowly but surely, as fans started to pay closer attention to Pulisic, they started to see what he had to offer.

More than anything, Pulisic is a worker on and off the ball. No one will ever be able to question his desire to help the team. He is virtually always available for a pass and always seems to have an eye for the teammate he wants to pass to when he gets the ball. When he cannot pass, he can glide into pockets of space with relative ease. And he does all of this full out, nonstop throughout the match.

Part of that work ethic has caused managers to use him in multiple roles. In his young career, he has played on both wings, as a wingback, and as a 10. For the United States currently, he is playing a hybrid 8/10 role, not too dissimilar to Bernardo Silva at Manchester City. And his goal against Trinidad and Tobago hinted at a dormant poacher’s instinct that coaches have yet to tap into.

But while he is flipping the narratives about “just being a marketing transfer”, do not try to shove him into Hazard’s boots. Pulisic is a great player and he may quickly become Chelsea’s best winger, but he is no Hazard. He cannot grab the game by the scruff of the neck and change it on a dime like the Belgian. Instead, he is much more similar to Pedro and Willian.

The only real question to have is whether he is better on the left or the right, a question that remains for Willian and Callum Hudson-Odoi when he returns. Pulisic is predominantly right footed (though unafraid to use his left), so it is simply a matter of him crossing earlier or later after he pulls back.

But overall, the fans’ excitement for Pulisic is justified. He was this same guy back in January and he has flipped the narrative before fielding for the Blues. So long as fans do not shoehorn him into being the new Hazard (a good reason not to give him the 10), then he will reward the faith the club has shown in him.