Christian Pulisic’s heroics for the USA national team might have given Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel something to think about ahead of next season.
Just a week after lifting the Champions League with the Blues, there was more trophy success for the winger – this time on the international scene.
In the final of the first CONCACAF Nations League between USA and Mexico, Pulisic scored what turned out to be the winning goal from the penalty spot.
After winning the spot-kick when he was pulled down in the area by Carlos Salcedo, the 22-year-old kept his calm to convert from 12 yards and spark wild scenes inside the stadium.
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“I said I’m gonna go out swinging and I’m just going put this top bins and I did,” he said after the game, as per Goal.
By scoring from the spot in a high-pressure situation, has Pulisic put himself in contention to be Chelsea’s first-choice penalty taker next season?
It’s something Tuchel might want to take under consideration after his side – prior to his appointment – had problems from the penalty spot during the 2020/21 campaign.
In total, Chelsea were awarded 17 penalties across all competitions of which four were missed.
The biggest culprit was Jorginho who missed three including losses at home to Liverpool as well as the London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Timo Werner scored three from four, while Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount both converted their one penalty against Sevilla and Southampton respectively.
Jorginho is Chelsea’s main penalty taker (Image: Getty Images)
With that in mind, Tuchel has already hinted that Jorginho and Mount are his first-choice penalty takers.
“So you get a good picture of who is capable and today it was Mason and Jorginho on the sheet: we put the two names and I said to Jorginho just before the match if he feels confident to take a penalty, and he said clearly yes,” Tuchel said after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Tottenham where Jorginho scored from the spot.
“So we trusted him, but I did not discuss with him how to take it.”
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But in Pulisic, another option may have emerged.
The forward, who joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for £57.6m in January 2019, has never been a regular penalty taker throughout his career so to even be in the conversation to replace Jorginho and Mount may come as a surprise to some.
But according to transfermarkt he has a perfect record from five taken.
Four of which are for the national team and his strategy when faced with the opposition goalkeeper will take some beating.