On the night Liverpool finally got their hands on the Premier League trophy for the first time in 30 years, they had a game to play first, and what a game it was as they defeated Chelsea 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller.
Despite leading 4-1 at one point, things became worrying for Jurgen Klopp and his side after Chelsea brought things back to 4-3, with Christian Pulisic coming off the bench to very nearly play the role of party pooper.
What was Pulisic's overall display like?
📷 Match Snapshot
By the time Pulisic entered the action just before the hour mark, Liverpool were cruising with the scoreline at 4-1.
However, he made an immediate impact and set up a goal for the visitors two minutes later.
A ⏱️ 61' In what will go down as one of the best assists of the season, Pulisic catches Liverpool off guard with a signature, incisive dribble down the left channel, taking on all comers while displaying a mesmeric control over the ball. Eventually, he cleverly nutmegs Joe Gomez to burst into the danger area, where he slides a perfect cross to the back post for Tammy Abraham to tap home.
⚽ ⏱️ 73' Twelve minutes later, it was 4-3. After a bit of comedic defending from Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, Chelsea get forward down the right-hand side through Callum Hudson-Odoi, who picks out a lofted cross into the centre of the box. Pulisic displays the most composed head in all of Anfield as he chests down, takes a few touches to set himself, and then rifles a finish into the top right corner. Superb.
Liverpool 5-3 Chelsea: Full Player Ratings and Statistics
Pulisic only attempted six passes in his time on the pitch, but did complete every single one for a 100% success rate.
Also, despite not starting the match he had more touches in the box than any other Chelsea player with five, with only Mohamed Salah enjoying more in the full match.
In a match full of drama and goals, his substitute appearance still saw him become FC man of the match with a 8.0 FC Rating.
〽️ Rating Week-on-Week
✔️ IMPROVEMENT
In Chelsea's previous match they won 1-0 versus Norwich in a tight affair at Stamford Bridge. Pulisic assisted the only goal of the game and earned a 7.3 FC Rating.
The jump to a 8.0 FC Rating for the outing against Liverpool may not seem like much, but his impact from the bench cannot really be overstated as he very nearly brought Chelsea back on level terms after being 4-1 down.
🗝️ Key Stats
Pulisic match stats
Statistic | Value | Notes | |
FC Rating | 8.0 | 🏆 FC Man of the Match | |
Mins Played | 31 | ||
Touches | 22 | ||
Touches In Box | 5 | ||
Shots | 3 | ||
On Target | 1 | ||
Goals | 1 | ||
Assists | 1 |
What Next?
In the last game of the season, Chelsea take on Wolves with their Champions League qualification still not confirmed. They are currently fourth on 63 points, with Man Utd in third on goal difference and Leicester in behind on 62 points.
Those two play each other on Sunday, too, so although Chelsea's fate will be in their own hands, Pulisic may be relied upon to drag the Blues to the Champions League.