Christian Pulisic sparks Chelsea comeback with clinical goal in Premier League return

American soccer fans may have been a bit disappointed to learn that Christian Pulisic was on the bench to start Chelsea’s match at Aston Villa on Sunday. But remember: It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Pulisic came on in the second half, subbing on for Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 55th minute. Five minutes later, Pulisic scored his team’s first goal and sparked a Blues comeback.

On a ball from from right back Cesar Azpilicueta that went to the back post, Pulisic timed his effort perfectly to get a touch on the ball and send it in off the crossbar. 

Take a look:

That’s a superb goal from the 21-year-old. With the pace of the ball, the distraction of the players in front of him and where that ball landed, it’s incredibly challenging. But Pulisic just has a nose for goal and now has six goals on the season. His action Sunday was his first since Jan. 1 as he was injured prior to the league’s coronavirus shutdown.

Just moments after Pulisic’s goal, Olivier Giroud scored what proved to be the winner in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory.

Getting three points was crucial for Chelsea to build a cushion over Manchester United for the coveted fourth-place spot which comes with a Champions League spot.