Christian Pulisic ended the season with just two minutes off Chelsea's bench as the club's interim head coach Frank Lampard decided not to start him against Newcastle United on Sunday.
Lampard brought Pulisic on in the 88th minute with the score 1-1 after a Kieran Tripper own goal cancelled out Anthony Gordon's ninth-minute strike. The Blues brought to an end a torrid campaign that has seen them finish in 12th place with two managers sacked in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
There has been intense talk on social media around the reception Pulisic, who may have made his last appearance for Chelsea, got when he came on for Noni Madueke. There was certainly an intonation of booing by a very small amount of people inside Stamford Bridge.
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Pulisic has not started a game for Chelsea since the 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on April 15. He spent the next four games either on the bench or not in the matchday squad before being given five minutes against Manchester City on May 21.
Lampard brought Pulisic on for the final 26 minutes of Chelsea's final away game of the season, a 4-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League on Thursday. Pulisic replaced Mykhaylo Mudryk with Chelsea 2-0 down only for them to ship two more goals before Joao Felix scored a consolation one minute from time.
It is expected that Pulisic will leave the Blues this summer with his contract that he signed upon arriving at Stamford Bridge back in 2019 for £58million from Borussia Dortmund entering its final year. Sunday's opponents, Newcastle, have been linked with a move for Pulisic while Serie A champions Napoli are also said to be keen with the club's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, outlining his wish to sign a player from the United States of America.
"I would like to add more players," he said. "I would like to have an American, because in America even if the league is worth little, there are great players who shine in the national team."
As far as Pulisic is concerned he could do with revitalising his career and seek a fresh start away from Chelsea, where he has struggled amid the chopping and changing of managers. Indeed, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville summed up his thoughts on Pulisic by characterising him as "a bit of a 'nearly player" after he came on during the clash at Old Trafford.
Pulisic may well have made his final appearance for Chelsea ahead of an uncertain summer and it is clear that Lampard does not trust him from the off, hence his reduced game-time and lack of starts for the club.
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