The Rondo: Has Christian Pulisic's brilliance reached world-class, and can the USMNT star propel AC Milan to the top of Serie A?

Tom Hindle: Well, it’s gotta be up there. We’ve seen Pulisic take charge of individual fixtures before, and he was excellent in a couple of games last year. But this seemed seismic. A goal, and an assist in a contest that may be decisive at the end of the year. Immense from the American.

Alex Labidou: It’s definitely in the top three. And part of the reason is that it cements Pulisic as AC Milan’s best player. It is rare to see a star deliver on outsized expectations, and he did just that against Napoli. Remember, talk before the game was whether or not the Rossoneri and Pulisic’s surge of form was real and whether they could do it against the defending champions in Napoli. Well, they did. Pulisic’s assist on Milan’s opener was arguably his best and it set the stage for the rest of the match. As for the others in the top three: Pulisic’s goal against Real Madrid, which helped Chelsea reach the 2021 Champions League Final - which the Blues won - has to be up there. And then on the USMNT side, who could forget his hat-trick against Panama in Orlando that all but sealed the Americans trip to the 2022 World Cup?

Ryan Tolmich: Pretty high, particularly given the stakes. This was a true "prove-it" game for Milan, and it was one for Pulisic, too. He has looked like one of the best players in Serie A. You need to play well in the big games to do that. This wasn't the biggest game of his career, but it was the biggest game of this season so far, and he rose to the occasion.

TH: PLEASE CALM DOWN. Maybe he has. Maybe he hasn’t. Let’s just enjoy the streak and hope it continues for the USMNT.

AL: Not yet, but he’s knocking at the door. Pulisic has world-class attributes, but as we saw last season - a campaign in which he also got off to a hot start - he needs it to sustain. On a positive, it does seem as if he’s got a competent manager who is driving success at the club, and has full faith in him. That hasn’t happened previously during his time in Europe. 

RT: Not quite yet, and it'll be hard for him to get there this season. Without Champions League soccer, Pulisic and Milan, realistically, have to win Serie A to ignite that conversation. Is that possible? Sur. But it's a little early. If Pulisic is still scoring for fun come, say, January, we can revisit the question.

TH: They’re certainly picking up results. You wouldn’t say they’re favorites, but if the streak continues, and everyone else drops points here and there, they could be in the picture. Ask again in March. 

AL: Yes. The win over Napoli proved they can go blow for blow with arguably Serie A’s best. More importantly, while the Azzuri and Roma - another surprise contender - have Europe to contend with, Milan do not. The rest between fixtures should help Milan, and Pulisic.

RT: Right now, you have to say they are. It's been hard for any club to keep hold of the Scudetto, which shows both the parity and volatility of life at the top of Serie A. Milan have a good coach, some talented players and, at present, momentum. Teams such as Napoli, Inter and Atalanta are probably better but, hey, it could happen.

TH: This season, in the 25-30 range - and that will be just fine. 

AL: If he stays healthy, this could be a 30-goal contribution season for him. The reality is he has to slow down at some point, but 30 goal contributions would put him firmly in the running for Serie A Player of the Year - which would be uncharted territory for a U.S. international. 

RT: The baseline is about 20, given that's the number he hit in each of his first two Serie A runs. If he can hit 30, Milan will be in a very different place. That, obviously, will depend on fitness, form and, in some ways, luck. But Pulisic seemingly has it in him. More conservatively, put him in that 20-25 range to account for rougher moments.

TH: No, not necessarily. But he can certainly take heart from the strength of his performances. Pochettino is going to play the way he wants, likely with Pulisic as a No. 10. If that form translates, the USMNT will be in a much better place over the next couple weeks.

AL: It might be time to consider using Pulisic as a striker alongside likely Folarin Balogun. While Pochettino and Max Allegri offer different philosophies - with the Argentine more attacking-focused - they share some similarities in approach. Allegri is steadfast in a three-man backline with forward charging wingbacks, and Pochettino had success in using that same defensive approach against Japan in a friendly earlier this month. Where they differ is that Pochettino has almost exclusively gone with one striker up top throughout his various stops in Europe. Pochettino has also said that he views Pulisic more as a No. 10, but it might serve his best interests to have the American further up where he can potentially score more and open up more space for Balogun. 

RT: Sometimes soccer is simple: give the ball to your good players. The USMNT did that in the Japan game and Milan have generally done that this season. Are there nuances that can allow you to find Pulisic in different areas of the field? Sure, but the main point remains: both teams are better when Pulisic gets the ball often, no matter when and where that happens.