Christian Pulisic is ripping it up for Chelsea in preseason.
The USMNT forward scored twice and won a penalty kick in the first half of their friendly at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria on Wednesday, as the 20-year-old made a huge statement in his battle to become a leading man for Frank Lampard’s side.
Chelsea went on to win the game 5-3 and alongside Pulisic the likes of Ross Barkley and Pedro impressed.
It was clear that the American attacker made his mark on his new manager.
“He showed his quality. I loved the nature of his goals. He can be a really big player for us,” Lampard said.
These were Pulisic’s first goals for Chelsea after his $73 million move from Borussia Dortmund in January, as he spent the second half of last season back on loan with the Bundesliga club.
THROUGH THE DEFENDER'S LEGS!
— ESPN (@espn) July 31, 2019
Christian Pulisic gets his first goal for Chelsea! pic.twitter.com/Gfcn3qaW78
After impressive cameo displays for Chelsea during their preseason tour of Japan, Pulisic is battling with Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Pedro and Willian for minutes in the attacking midfield areas.
This kind of performance should set him up very nicely for his first-ever Premier League season.
Pulisic’s PL debut is against Manchester United on Sunday, Aug. 11 (Watch live, 11:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
First of many we hope, @cpulisic_10!#RBSCHE pic.twitter.com/XwigsOHX95
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 31, 2019