Christian Pulisic's first two seasons in Italy were exactly what the doctor ordered. After a struggle to find consistent playing time with Chelsea, Pulisic made the move to Italy in search of something better.
In his debut season, he scored 12 goals and added 8 assists in Serie A (Italy's top soccer division). He followed that up with 11 goals and 9 assists. In maybe the most important season of his professional career, heading into a home World Cup, Pulisic has seen his influence dwindle.
This season under Massimiliano Allegri, Pulisic has only managed to score 8 goals and make just 3 assists. That would be his lowest total since the 2022 Premier League season, which saw his time at Chelsea come to an end. Even worse, he has just 1 assist since the calendar rolled over into 2026, and he has yet to score.
So, what is wrong with Pulisic? His manager has a thought.
Massimiliano Allegri says Christian Pulisic is too emotional
Pulisic has always been one to show his emotions on the pitch. He wears it on his face, too. You can see the frustration when things are not going well. And legendary manager Massimiliano Allegri believes it is hurting his confidence when the ball isn't finding the back of the net.
"[Pulisic is] a very sensitive guy," said Allegri. "The fact that he doesn't score affects him more. He's a player who gets into tackles and struggles more; he suffers more from this. I have to try to give the team balance, playing without a true centre forward, he struggles more."
When Pulisic isn’t scoring early, you can see the frustration build, and it starts to affect everything else in his game.
As Allegri rightly points out, playing without a true center forward isn't great for a tricky player like Pulisic. He wants to cut inside and outside, get on the ball, and attack players 1v1. Without a striker, defenses can load up and foul him. And Milan has not really had a great striker since Olivier Giroud left in 2024, but even he couldn't produce 20 goals in the domestic league.
READ MORE: When is the USMNT World Cup roster announced?
AC Milan's number 9 curse has yet to be lifted
Milan has struggled to find a real number 9 since Filippo Inzaghi retired in 2012. It has led some to think the number 9 is cursed. If you aren't familiar, a number 9 doesn't reflect just the kit number. Each soccer position has a number assigned to it. A number 9's job is to score goals, or be a striker. Look at how it's gone for Milan strikers the last decade plus:
- Alessandro Matri (2013/14): 15 appearances, 1 goal.
- Fernando Torres (2014/15): 10 appearances, 1 goal.
- Mattia Destro (2014/15): 15 appearances, 3 goals.
- Luiz Adriano (2015/16): 26 appearances, 4 goals.
- Gianluca Lapadula (2016/17): 27 appearances, 8 goals.
- André Silva (2017/18): 24 appearances, 2 goals.
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018/19): 15 appearances, 6 goals.
- Krzysztof Piątek (2019/20): 18 appearances, 4 goals.
- Mario Mandžukić (2020/21): 10 appearances, 0 goals.
Now, Olivier Giroud brought some stability, but his best season in Serie A was just 15 goals. And then it was right back to struggle city, as Luka Jovic scored just 8 goals total over 2 seasons in Italy. Without a number 9 this year, Rafael Leão is the leading scorer with 9, and Pulisic is just one behind.
To be the second leading goal scorer on your team but failing to score in your last 17 appearances isn't ideal. The World Cup is just months away, and America's best player is in maybe the worst form of his professional soccer career.
It only takes one moment to spark a turnaround, but with just four Serie A games remaining, time is quickly running out. For Christian Pulisic and the USMNT faithful counting on their best player to arrive at the 2026 World Cup in peak form, that turnaround must start now. Pulisic and Milan are back in action Sunday against Sassuolo at 9 AM EST. You can catch all the action live on Paramount+.
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