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Christian Pulisic Scores Impressive Goal vs. Liverpool to Open His 2022 Account

The USMNT star scored his third goal of the Premier League season for Chelsea.

Andrew Gastelum

Christian Pulisic Scores Impressive Goal vs. Liverpool to Open His 2022 Account
Christian Pulisic Scores Impressive Goal vs. Liverpool to Open His 2022 Account /

Despite all the team successes for Christian Pulisic, 2021 was a difficult year in the goals category. But the U.S. men's national team star made sure to start 2022 off with a bang, scoring for Chelsea against Liverpool on Sunday. 

On the brink of halftime, trailing Liverpool 2–1, N'Golo Kanté played Pulisic through on goal with only Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher to beat. The American winger chested down the ball before silencing the effort with his left to equalize for the Blues. 

The goal is the 23-year-old's first goal in 10 club games (since Nov. 20 against Leicester City) to give him three goals on the season. Pulisic only scored six goals for Chelsea in all competitions in 2021, the lowest total of his senior team career since the 2018 calendar year. 

Pulisic’s goal came after Liverpool seemed to pull away with a comfortable away lead after Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah put the Reds up 2–0 in the first 26 minutes. The Liverpool duo will surely be missed over the next month when the leave for the African Cup of Nations, but Salah was sure to add to his league-leading goal total (16).

But Mateo Kovačić pulled one back for the hosts with a stunning volley from outside of the box in the 42nd before Pulisic’s strike in the first seconds of first-half stoppage time.

In 2021 alone, Pulisic became the first male American international to play in and win the Champions League final before going on to help lead the USMNT to a thrilling Concacaf Nations League final win over Mexico in June. 

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Andrew Gastelum
ANDREW GASTELUM

Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.

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