GdS: Four exclusions, four defeats – Milan’s Pulisic dependance highlighted

By: Oliver Fisher

There are many ways to outline Christian Pulisic’s importance to AC Milan, but one of them is very simple: wins.

La Gazzetta dello Sport have outlined the fact that when Pulisic starts a match, Milan do not lose. In an inconsistent team like Ruben Amorim’s, the four defeats this season to Benfica, Bournemouth, Bologna and Ferencvaros have two things in common.

The first is the two starters in midfield: four times out of four, the double pivot was Yunus Musah and Ardon Jashari each time. Then, there are the three absentees: Mario Gila, Luka Modric and Pulisic.

Pulisic, Gila and Modric are clearly three of Milan’s key players, and the American arguably more so than the others. He’s eighth in Serie A in points average from starts (2.67 points, five wins in six games).

Pio Esposito, Lulli, Mora (the three who have always won as starters), Zaccagni, Dimarco, Isaksen, and Zielinski rank higher, but there’s a clear difference: the others play for Lazio, Inter, and Roma, the top three in the league.

Captain America came on against Benfica, Bologna, and Ferencvaros, and was an unused substitute against Bournemouth. Compared to Modric, who has been playing consistently since August, and Gila, who has been affected by injury, Pulisic has had his ups and downs.

He scored in Udine, the derby and most recently against Genoa, and it’s no coincidence that the Diavolo won all three games. Simply put: when Christian plays well, Milan follow him. When his level drops, Milan struggle.

It’s tactics, as well as numbers. Pulisic has different characteristics from his team-mates: he’s the only one who attacks the space in behind. Gonçalo Ramos often comes deep and lays it off, Alphadjo Cisse loves having the ball at his feet, and CP disrupts defences in other ways.

Furthermore, he’s considered one of the owners’ key players, who are also American, and he just renewed his contract. If you have to imagine the Milan of the future, just think Pulisic and 10 others.