Christian Pulisic's pinpoint effort just moments before half-time guided Chelsea into the Champions League quarter-final with a 4-1 aggregate win over Lille. The 23-year-old spearheaded Thomas Tuchel's frontline alongside Kai Havertz with excellent effect.
The United States international's performance earmarked his reemergence as one of the Blues' most prominent threats, having now directly contributed towards a goal every 89 minutes in the competition this season. Pulisic, whose development has often been hampered by injuries since swapping the Signal Iduna Park for Stamford Bridge in 2019, has enjoyed Tuchel's latest vote of confidence and has repaid the German's faith by showing clear signs of improvement.
Earlier this month, the German boss told Pulisic that he needs to 'focus' in order to take his game to the next level at Chelsea. Tuchel noted his desire to see the winger transition into a Raheem Sterling type role.
READ MORE: Chelsea player ratings vs Lille: Azpilicueta produces captain's display, Pulisic makes his mark
READ MORE: Patrick Vieira has already solved Thomas Tuchel's major N'Golo Kante concern amid takeover worry
"For me, what Christian needs and what he can bring to the team is his physicality and ability to hit high intensity repetitively, on a high frequency," the Blues boss said. "This is the focus, and from there, the other thing is that he has the ambition and natural hunger, ambition to arrive in the six-yard box.
"This is good, this is what we need. He needs to focus on these things and start from there. If he does and feels the physical fitness, the physical ability to do so, he can have a huge influence in our game."
Chelsea's passage of play which resulted in Pulisic's goal against Lille typified exactly what his boss has asked from him; focus, an instinctive hunger for the ball, off-ball intelligence and electric intensity.
The 23-year-old is renowned for his potency in front of goal, ability to receive the ball in tight spaces and off-ball movement and now that he's evaded injury, Pulisic has been able to flaunt his skillset. He has, statistically and visually, evolved into Tuchel's very own Raheem Sterling.
Chelsea's number ten rubbed shoulders with some of the Premier League's best forwards, such as Mohamed Salah, Phil Foden and Sterling last season for receiving styles using next-gen off-ball metrics, as per The Athletic. The investigation delved measured how, where and under what circumstances players received the ball before proving clinical in front of goal.
The Athletic found that Pulisic, who has been compared to Eden Hazard, is a player who enjoys operating more in the box than outside it. The USMNT captain arrived in west London with the weight of the world - and a hefty £57.6m price tag - on his shoulders; he joined just as the Belgium international left, taking the iconic number ten shirt.
Pulisic, who has now equalled Hazard's Champions League goalscoring tally, fell victim to the subconscious expectation that he was drafted in from Borussia Dortmund to fill the Belgian's void - someone who is a playmaker, a creative technician, a conductor. But, instead, the American is a Sterling - a finisher and an elusive runner off the ball.
