ESPN writers Gab Marcotti, Mark Ogden and Julien Laurens reflect on some of the burning questions after three rounds.
Is this the real Pulisic or are we just witnessing a hot streak?
Ogden: Pulisic is 26 now and entering the peak years of his career, and I think that is beginning to show. Chelsea was a tough move for him and it didn’t work out as he would have wanted, but his time in the Premier League made him a better player, even if it dented his confidence at times. AC Milan are now reaping the benefits of his experience at Stamford Bridge.
His goal against Liverpool on matchday 1 was outstanding and he topped it with his goal against Club Brugge this week. He’s become the main man at Milan and you can see that he is a different player purely because he looks settled, wanted and he knows he is a key part of the team. So yes, this is the real Pulisic — one that is realising his potential after being shaped by the difficult times he has had to endure.
Marcotti: He’s reached maturity and that’s important. He’s fit and that matters even more. But I’d also add that he has a bunch of intangible qualities that shine through at Milan make him so valuable. He’s cognizant of the fact that, unlike with the United States national team, he’s not orders of magnitude better than his teammates and he doesn’t need to be the main man. They have plenty of other gifted players, but what they do need from him because others (not pointing fingers but … Rafael Leão) don’t always provide it is work rate, reliability and a willingness to put the team first. I don’t think that’s going away even if he is on a hot streak (and I’m not sure he is: he’s pretty darn talented). So, I imagine he will continue to be important for Milan for a long, long time. Or, at least, until they start properly clicking. Even against Club Brugge, sure, they won, but the Rossoneri only really looked good in the last half hour.
Laurens: This is the real Pulisic and he is on a hot streak! Both are valid and true. Now he needs to be consistent and transform the hot streak into his norm. The harder thing will be to stay in this form and keep putting up performances like he did on Tuesday and like he has been for most of this season. He is more mature, staying fit. He clearly feels loved and valued by his club and his manager, on the back of a very good season last year too. I’m convinced he can become that guy — the guy at Milan — especially with Leao’s poor form at the moment.