It’s no exaggeration to say that Americans have been waiting almost a decade for the version of Christian Pulisic that we’re finally seeing.

Five goals and two assists in eight matches in all competitions is the headline and Pulisic’s role as a leader within AC Milan was further highlighted as he was chosen as the Italian giant’s Player of the Month for September.

Pulisic is enjoying the best spell of his career at AC Milan after a few years of struggle in the Premier League for ChelseaGetty

So here’s a bold take: Christian Pulisic – right now – is in the best run of form ever seen from an American abroad.

Now entering his prime at the age of 26, we’ve been waiting for Pulisic to ascend to this level ever since he broke onto the scene as a teenager for Borussia Dortmund. He’s had his battles but it appears he’s finally arrived.

While he wasn’t necessarily at his best for the USMNT at this summer’s Copa America, Pulisic’s September is no flash in the pan. His debut campaign at the San Siro saw him accumulate 12 goals and nine assists in Serie A, including two goals and three assists in the final four games of the season.

This time around, he looks even better and that’s the differentiating factor at this stage in Pulisic’s career – nothing about this looks like a temporary golden period. His first season at Chelsea ended with a run of four goals and two assists in the final nine games but he failed to continue in the same vein the following campaign.

In truth, he never again reached the heights of the final months of his maiden Chelsea season, eventually scoring just one Premier League goal in 24 appearances his final year at Stamford Bridge.

In and out of the team through four seasons in England, Pulisic made 36 Serie A appearances last season, nine more than he managed in any of his Chelsea years. Pulisic finally looks comfortable, confident, and he’s matured into a leader at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

This is where he diverges from any of the Americans who came before him – and there have been many quality imports across the pond to Europe.

The high point of Clint Dempsey’s career saw him score a hugely impressive 17 Premier League goals for Fulham in 2011/12. But with all due respect to Fulham – and they did feature in the Europa League that season, having reached the final two years before – the expectations at a club like AC Milan just belong in a different stratosphere.

Landon Donovan flashed his prodigious talent during brief spells with Bayern Munich and Everton but consistency never arrived – or perhaps he never stayed in Europe long enough to find it.

Meanwhile, there are a number of goalkeepers who can at least claim to rival Pulisic, Tim Howard probably holding the best claim. 

The Premier League has seen its fair share of American heroes – including Dempsey who scored 72 goals for Fulham and SpursGetty

Friedel also enjoyed a superb career in the England top flight and holds the record for consecutive Premier League appearancesGETTY

Pulisic, meanwhile, struggled at Chelsea but is back to his best in Serie AGetty

It can be easy to forget now, more than two decades later, but Howard was selected in the PFA Team of the Year for his exploits as Manchester United’s shot-stopper in the 2003/04 season. But the following season only saw him feature 12 times in the Premier League as his spot was eventually taken by Edwin van der Sar.

Brad Friedel could be counted as something of a trailblazer for Howard, himself earning a place in the 2002/03 PFA Team of the Year following a stellar campaign with Blackburn Rovers, and later setting the record for consecutive Premier League matches played with an incredible tally of 310 over a period of eight years.

Kasey Keller also amassed more than 150 Premier League appearances but neither goalkeeper had the transformative impact that Pulisic is currently enjoying in Italy.

Brian McBride was an impressively combative forward in England’s top flight for seven years but only once hit double-digit goals, and this is the issue when comparing the historical American stars with Pulisic. No one has achieved the ceiling nor the consistency that Pulisic is displaying, albeit in Serie A and not the Premier League.

Pulisic no doubt has a level of talent that has rarely, if ever, been seen before in the United States. That much was obvious during his Borussia Dortmund breakout as a teenager. The sojourn to Chelsea slowed the winger down slightly as injuries and a lack of consistent minutes plagued his time in England.

The leadership qualities have also always been there even if he isn’t the most vocal [by his own admission], having captained his country at the age of 20.

But perhaps to his detriment, expectation has closely followed those feats achieved at such a young age.

“I’ve had my difficulties with it,” he said in January. “It’s not something that affects my day-to-day life. I think I’m quite a simple guy. I’m not out in public all the time, so it doesn’t affect me. I’m in training every day. I come home and I can relax and speak to the people close to me and the people that I love, so it’s not something that bothers me in any way. It’s just some getting used to and I’m really grateful I have the platform to do what I want to do.”

But Pulisic is no longer that boy who may have struggled with the weight of a nation on his shoulders. He’s matured in Italy – both on and off the pitch – something that is paying dividends in his performances.

September 2024 might have been the best month of Christian Pulisic’s career thus far. Winning the supporters vote for AC Milan MVP for the month is evidence of that as is his nomination for Serie A Player of the Month. 

This really might have been the best month of form any American has summoned, which is no disrespect to the legends we’ve looked at above, purely just a reflection of the way Pulisic is playing right now.

Pulisic now needs to find a way to being his club form to the United States national team under new boss PochettinoGetty

The task ahead is clear: keep it going. AC Milan fans will be looking for Pulisic to continue cementing his place as a leader in the team and one of the premiere attacking players in Italy while on the international stage a new challenge, of sorts, awaits.

Pulisic headlined the squad announcement this week for America’s upcoming November international break. This announcement is special, of course, because it is the first of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure as USMNT boss.

If the US are to make real strides under Pochettino ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil, then they’ll need this version of Pulisic to stick around.

After all, the Pulisic we’ve seen in the year of 2024 would be needed – and appreciated – by any country in the world.