Pulisic Re-Enters the Chelsea Proving Ground, Prepared for What’s Ahead

Raheem Sterling’s arrival and Chelsea’s transfer activity put the pressure back on the U.S. star to reaffirm his place entering another season in the Premier League spotlight.

The symbolism obviously was unintentional, but it was also unmistakable. 

There was Raheem Sterling, receiving a “very warm welcome” from Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel as the squad gathered before training in the Southern California sun. And behind Sterling, largely eclipsed by Chelsea’s brand new, $56 million signing, was a stoic Christian Pulisic. As the coach told Sterling, “We’re very happy that you’re here,” it was impossible not to imagine Pulisic, his face peeking out from behind his new teammate’s, wondering where he now stands on Tuchel’s depth chart.

Chelsea’s social media staffers were fired up for Sterling’s arrival, and that brief video was just one among the 20-plus Twitter and Instagram posts they unleashed Wednesday and Thursday. Sterling is an elite player, a 27-year-old wide attacker who helped Manchester City to four of the past five Premier League titles, scoring double-digit goals in each season, while emerging as the second-leading marksman for England’s improved national side. Sterling would strengthen just about any club in the world.

“The signing of Raheem shows what we're capable of doing,” Tuchel told Sky. “It shows the ambition of the club and the ownership, and it's good because we're all here to win and compete.”

Chelsea does win. It’s the reigning club world champion. It’s a season removed from a second European Cup and since 2010, the Londoners have also claimed the Europa League twice, the Premier League three times and the FA Cup three times. But Chelsea has somehow fallen behind at the same time, finishing at least 19 points off the Premier League pace in each of the past five campaigns. Man City and Liverpool have set a ridiculous standard, and the league at large is becoming richer and more ruthless. In 2020–21, half of the top 20 revenue-producing clubs in the world were English, according to Deloitte. The competition, along with the constant pressure to reload or reinvent, is relentless.

"The stakes are high and we're competing not only against the best teams who have ever played in the Premier League but also the best coaches," Tuchel said. "For that we need signings of new quality players, or otherwise there's no chance.”

Pulisic enters another season at Chelsea facing questions about his outlook with the club :: NurPhoto/Imago Images

That leaves Pulisic, who’s perhaps the most gifted offensive player the U.S. has produced, in a precarious place heading into his fourth Chelsea season. Despite his talent, his obvious dedication and those vital contributions to the Blues’ 2021 Champions League crown, the 23-year-old still hasn’t established firm footing at Stamford Bridge. Pushing for minutes on a squad that already included the likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner erased almost all of Pulisic’s margin for error. And an early ankle injury and the grind of Concacaf World Cup qualifying only increased his instability in ’21–22.

Pulisic wound up scoring eight goals (tied for sixth on the team) in 38 appearances last season. He started both the FA Cup and League Cup finals and was on the field for most of the Club World Cup decider. Yet apart from a stretch in December ‘21, he never really enjoyed a sustained run of starts. The lack of consistent playing time weighed on him, occasionally affected his mood and confidence, and could be a challenge to handle for someone who clearly takes his work so personally.

“It’s tough. It’s definitely played a lot on me. And mentally, it’s been difficult at times,” he said after arriving at U.S. national team camp in January.

Then Chelsea and its new owner, American billionaire Todd Boehly, signed Sterling. They also went after Raphinha, the 25-year-old Brazilian winger from Leeds United, who opted for Barcelona instead, and Germany’s Serge Gnabry, 27, who decided to stick with Bayern Munich. Pulisic inhabits a surreal professional world, one in which his employer commits significant resources to him while simultaneously trying to find someone else who can do his job just a bit better. 

So on Wednesday, he helped welcome Sterling. Other signings may be on their way. That’s out of Pulisic’s control. What he can influence is how he handles it, and speaking from Chelsea’s Beverley Hills hotel on Thursday, he told Sports Illustrated that he’s learned—through experience—a bit more about how to handle the ups and downs at the game’s very highest level.

“I've seen a lot of stuff in the last couple of years and with experience—just getting all of the experiences that I have at this club and some of the biggest games and some of the biggest moments—it just prepares me for down the line,” he says. “And this season, I'm hoping to go into it and have a really strong start, be myself and just have the best season that I can.”

Pulisic has another two seasons on his Chelsea contract and some have wondered whether his fluctuating fortunes in West London might prompt him to seek an exit. Juventus reportedly was interested. But for now, Pulisic seems committed to sticking it out and stating his case. His ties to Chelsea go way back. In 2006, he toured the club’s facilities while living in England (his mother spent a year teaching near Oxford), and then four years later, he returned to train at Chelsea’s academy.

“I think I always wanted to play in England one day,” Pulisic said in his book, Pulisic: My Journey So Far, which will be published in October. “Once I got the offer from Chelsea, it was just like I really wanted to do it. It was meant to be, I guess.” 

“Chelsea was just a club I always looked up to, and it was always a dream of mine to play in England especially,” he continued, adding later, “It felt closer to the U.S. and the culture I was used to than being in Germany [with Borussia Dortmund]. Obviously the language is a huge factor in that—hearing English and being around it. And having more people around me in London. My agent and his family and other people are around here. I felt closer to home in that sense too.”

It doesn’t sound like something he’s eager to walk away from. And so Pulisic’s quest to target the moving goalposts at Chelsea began again this week in L.A., where the club is preparing for its first multi-game U.S. tour since 2016. It might be tempting to look at this nascent stage of preseason, especially abroad, as a slow burn. And while there is some recreation and marketing involved, Chelsea and Pulisic aren’t taking it easy. They trained twice a day at UCLA before heading Friday to Las Vegas for Saturday’s friendly against Club América at Allegiant Stadium. The tour will continue with a game July 20 against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium, then conclude July 23 against rival Arsenal at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Those matches, which are Pulisic’s last on U.S. soil before the World Cup, won’t count. But there are stakes. His chance to make an impression starts now.

“It really doesn't change a whole lot,” he told Sports Illustrated about starting off the season in the U.S. “Training has been equally as tough.” 

Being near home, but not at home, helps. He said his teammates think he should be playing concierge because they’re all in Pulisic’s native country, without fully realizing that his Pennsylvania hometown and his house in South Florida are a 5–6 hour flight away. 

“They think like, ‘Oh, we’re in your country now. You’ve got to set things up for us,’” he said. “It’s funny.”

Instead, he’s ready for the grind.

Pulisic and the USMNT have one more international window before the World Cup kicks off in November :: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire/Imago Images

“I had a couple-week break. It was really nice. I got to spend a lot of time with my family down in Florida—some time just to take off,” he said. “So I'm definitely feeling good, and I'm ready to be back in preseason and then get going for the season.”

If there’s any difference between his approach to the upcoming campaign and how he handled previous seasons, it’ll be mental. As Pulisic speaks about the road ahead, there’s a sense that he’ll be doing everything in his power to avoid any misery or malaise. Clubs like Chelsea are going to continue searching for every sliver of competitive advantage. It’s not personal. That’s the landscape and life at that level, and Pulisic said he’s focused on staying steady and then flourishing in that environment.

“I try to look at everything in sort of a positive way, even if things don't go exactly as you had planned or you're not getting all the minutes that you want,” he said Thursday. “I think you're going to learn, and I think when you play at a club like this, that’s such a legendary club like Chelsea is, I think I really just continue to learn through it all. It's not always going to be easy. I have to continue to prove myself and constantly perform. But that’s what you sign up for when you come to a club like this, and that's what I'm just constantly ready for.”

Chelsea opens the Premier League season on Aug. 6 at Everton. Three months and one week later, Pulisic will be on his way to Qatar. His vital importance to the U.S. certainly won’t be impacted by his run of form at Chelsea, and Pulisic appears committed to ensuring that his confidence won’t be, either.

“It takes a mental toll on you,” he said. “But you have to stay very level-headed and just continue to grow and see everything in a positive way. Just try to make yourself better, because at the end of the day, that's what you want to do. And that's just going to help you down in the future.”