Americans in Europe: Tillman, Aaronson, Robinson, Pepi at Crossroads
Malik Tillman walked out of the World Cup with his reputation transformed. Mauricio Pochettino took the elegant No.10 who dazzled at PSV and ripped up the script, dropping him deeper as a No.8. The result? A relentless presser, a ball-progressing engine, still capable of the audacious. Those two outrageous free kicks will sit in USMNT highlight reels for years.
Now he returns to a club that barely resembles the one he joined. The Bayer Leverkusen of 12 months ago were Bundesliga champions, Champions League regulars, still buzzing from breaking Bayern Munich’s stranglehold in 2024. That version has vanished. In its place: a bruised side coming off a flat, joyless campaign that ended with the consolation prize of the Europa League.
Tillman never quite imposed himself in that mess. Six goals and one assist across all competitions is a thin return for a player of his talent at a club of that size.
This season, he doesn’t just need minutes. He needs a reset.
Carles Martínez Novell arrives as the man tasked with orchestrating it. His four years at Toulouse were defined by doing more with less, building progressive, ambitious sides without the luxury of star-studded squads. It’s the kind of profile that fits a Leverkusen searching for both identity and edge.
His football should suit Tillman. There’s room for him as the all-action No.8 Pochettino unlocked, or as a more classic No.10 pulling strings between the lines. Either role offers a pathway back to relevance.
And the first test is kind. Elversberg, fresh to the Bundesliga, are exactly the sort of opponent against whom a creative midfielder can reintroduce himself. If Tillman wants to move from World Cup promise to club-level authority, this is the sort of game he has to grab by the throat.
Aaronson the Workhorse, Still Chasing End Product
Brenden Aaronson remains one of the most intriguing American exports in Europe. He runs, he presses, he tracks back, he never hides. His game has evolved steadily as a playmaker. Yet the numbers still nag at him: 33 goals and 31 assists in 268 league matches. Respectable, not spectacular. You look at the energy, the technique, the intelligence, and wonder if there should be more.
What he does have is trust. Daniel Farke kept faith in him through some rocky periods at Leeds, and that loyalty now looks set to pay off. This season, Aaronson isn’t battling for relevance; he looks like a nailed-on starter in a system that values his industry and tactical discipline.
His season debut summed him up. On the left wing in a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, he didn’t register a single created chance. Yet he was everywhere: seven defensive contributions, 14 sprints, six ball recoveries. It was a performance that won’t light up a highlights reel but wins over managers.
The question, as always, is what happens in the final third.
Leeds moved to ease that burden by bringing in Harry Wilson on the right. The Welshman’s left foot and set-piece quality should shoulder some of the creative load, allowing Aaronson to focus on his pressing and movement without being the sole spark.
Even so, this Leeds side still needs more cutting edge. Against a disciplined Brentford on Sunday, running hard won’t be enough. Someone has to unlock the game. If Aaronson can start turning that work rate into tangible attacking returns, the conversation around him changes quickly. If he can’t, the same doubts about his ceiling will linger.
Robinson, Chaos, and a Demanding New Fulham
Alvaro Arbeloa’s first league outing as Fulham manager was wild. A 3-2 defeat to Chelsea on paper, but on the pitch it looked like a team discovering a new, attacking identity. Fulham’s squad is full of flair and youth, and Arbeloa seems happy to let them express it.
This might be the perfect environment for Antonee Robinson.
Arbeloa wants “controlled chaos” in the final third and asks his full backs to attack with aggression. That is Robinson’s game distilled. His trademark has always been his willingness to surge forward, overlap, and break lines with his passing.
Against Chelsea, he did exactly that. He played more line-breaking passes than Fulham’s left winger, Cesar Palacios, a clear sign of how involved he was in progressing the ball and feeding attacks.
But there was a price. Cole Palmer tore into that flank and delivered a masterclass. Robinson struggled to contain him and spent long stretches reacting rather than dictating. Fulham were entertaining, but they lost, and their left-back came out of it with attacking credit but defensive questions.
He needs a cleaner defensive outing now.
Sunderland offer that opportunity. The Black Cats are in a strange place themselves, having improbably qualified for Europe last season and now facing the balancing act of domestic fixtures and a draining Europa League schedule. They look like a side vulnerable to a high-tempo, front-foot approach.
For Robinson, the assignment is clear: keep the attacking ambition, tighten the defensive screws. If he can find that balance in Arbeloa’s system, Fulham suddenly have one of the most complete full backs in the league.
Pepi Stuck in Neutral, PSV Still Counting on Him
Ricardo Pepi’s World Cup was supposed to be his launchpad. Instead, it stalled. He arrived in open competition with Folarin Balogun for the starting striker role and left with no goals, no assists, and around 200 minutes that never quite caught fire. For a player tipped for a breakout, it was a bruising experience.
His club situation since has felt just as stop-start. In January, he stood on the brink of a Premier League move. Then came a broken arm. The transfer evaporated, and he went back to doing what he does best: scoring goals for PSV.
He finished last season strongly and has carried that form into this one, but the step up he seemed destined for never arrived in the summer window. Despite goals in his last two games, there’s a sense of a striker treading water rather than climbing.
PSV, though, won’t care about the narrative. To them, he is the focal point. They have a title to defend, a Champions League campaign to navigate, and they need their No.9 finishing ruthlessly.
The immediate task is straightforward: Utrecht at home. Pepi has two goals in his first three league matches, a solid platform. Keep that strike rate going and the questions about missed moves and stalled momentum will fade into the background.
For all four Americans, this season offers something more than minutes and match fitness. It offers a chance to redefine what they are at club level. Who grabs it first?
