Chelsea has looked better as a team so far under the tutelage of Graham Potter, compared to how they looked in the final weeks of Thomas Tuchel’s reign. Some players are playing out of their skin and have deservedly kept their place in the starting lineup. Some others simply have not played well, and yet have kept their place in the starting eleven. Here are three reasons why Christian Pulisic should start for the time being.
1. Meritocracy only works if you award playing time on merit
Potter has given the impression that there’d be consequences for bad performances and rewards for good performances. Some players have benefited from this system, just as some have suffered from it. Edouard Mendy was injured when Graham Potter walked through the door, but Mendy has since recovered to full match fitness but is still yet to start a game under the new manager. This is because Kepa Arrizabalaga has been phenomenal, and therefore has deserved to continue starting.
Kalidou Koulibaly was also dropped when Potter came because the Senegal captain was not playing well. Trevoh Chalobah came in for Wesley Fofana in the first leg of the AC Milan tie and has not been dropped since then, despite Koulibaly being on the bench in several games. Chalobah has not played for lack of options, he has played because he deserves to play. Sterling has been in poor form for quite some time now, and Pulisic has recorded a goal and an assist in his last two starts for the Blues in all competitions.
2. Raheem Sterling does not justify his Chelsea place with what he offers
Raheem Sterling has started nine out of 11 league games for CFC this season. In this time he has scored three goals, created three big chances, and completed 10 dribbles, at a 32% rate. The problem is that the bulk of these contributions came when Tuchel was still in charge, and in the last five Premier League games, as well as games in all competitions, Sterling has not done much to justify his sustained Blues place in the starting lineup. Besides, a 32% dribble completion rate is something Pulisic can easily do better at, the latter also offers as much off-the-ball as Sterling.
3. Christian Pulisic has earned a chance to get into some momentum of his own
Pulisic’s two goal involvements in his last two starts show that there’s something to build on. Unlike Chalobah and Arrizabalaga who had no momentum at the time they came in but gathered momentum the more they played, Pulisic actually has something he can build on, and he should be given the chance to do exactly that.