America's superstar Christian Pulisic has endured a handful of difficult seasons at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea, with arguably his most frustrating spell happening just before the World Cup.
But a rare start against Wolves on Saturday handed the 24-year-old winger a golden opportunity to prove his worth to new boss Graham Potter, who opted to shuffle his pack following Chelsea's 3-0 triumph against Milan last week.
Pulisic, in only his second start for Chelsea this campaign, enjoyed an impressive performance at Stamford Bridge, first testing Jose Sa with a sumptuous effort from distance before picking up a smart goal early in the second half. A display he will hope sees him feature in the Blues' Champions League group-stage clash at AC Milan on Tuesday night.
Teaming up with fellow Premier League stars Brenden Aaronson, Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams, Pulisic is set to play a major role for USA when they face England for their Group B clash in Qatar.
Yet, having started just twice for the Blues in all competitions this season, the 24-year-old is set to head on the plane with barely any meaningful game time under his belt, unless he wins more opportunities following the confident display against Wolves last weekend.
The winger was heavily linked with a move to Serie A this summer, with Juventus and AC Milan both interested according to reports.
Chelsea's bench against Milan last Wednesday typified the embarrassment of riches Potter has at his disposal in attacking midfield.
Pulisic, who failed to even get off the bench, was initially joined by out-of-favour Morocco star Hakim Ziyech, Germany's hybrid striker Kai Havertz and England youngster Conor Gallagher in the dugout.
But Saturday handed several fringe players the opportunity to prove their value, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trevoh Chalobah and Gallagher each earning starts alongside Pulisic.
Although Raheem Sterling's arrival from Manchester City this summer thwarted the American's first-team hopes further, Pulisic has frequently battled Havertz and Blues academy graduate Mason Mount for a spot in Chelsea's front three.
Perhaps unjustly, he has often been criticised for his lack of impact in attack, most notably with regard to scoring goals, providing assists or creating big chances.
But statistics show that Pulisic in fact has a superior record in terms of goal contributions for Chelsea when compared to his competitors.
According to Opta, the former Borussia Dortmund star has contributed either a goal or assist every 173 minutes for Chelsea.
By comparison, Mount's minutes per goal involvement is 206, while Havertz's is 181.
Based purely on the statistics alone, Pulisic can be forgiven for feeling aggrieved while sitting on the bench most weeks.
In addition, although Mount provides considerably more assists in a Blues shirt, Pulisic has scored just four fewer goals than the England international in over 5,000 fewer minutes.
Potter's decision to leave the ostracised star on the bench against Milan sparked fury among America fans on social media, who implored the west London club to sell him in January.
One fan said on Twitter: 'CFC supporters want Pulisic out. USMNT supporters want Pulisic out. Pulisic wants Pulisic out. A change is needed post-World Cup.'
'January can't come fast enough,' another tweeted. 'Rather he's a starter at a small club then an average squad player at a big club.'
Despite his better goal contributions record overall, Pulisic has struggled to match Mount and Havertz since the beginning of last season.
As of August 2021, Pulisic has scored or assisted every 176 minutes in all competitions, which is better than Havertz every 191 minutes.
But Mount has been involved in a Chelsea goal every 148 minutes, making him the most in-form player statistically amongst the trio.
With 10 matches to navigate in just five weeks, Potter has every opportunity to rotate the squad as he did against Wolves, while he continues to find his feet at Stamford Bridge.
While not holding their breath, America fans will hope Pulisic's number is called significantly more often, as he looks to build up match sharpness ahead of Qatar.
They, and Pulisic, hope that upward trend continues at the San Siro on Tuesday night.