Americans Abroad: Christian Pulisic steps up for Milan, Brenden Aaronson lifts Leeds, multiple man of the match moments

Christian Pulisic is a big-game player. You have to acknowledge that by now. AC Milan were handed two marquee matches this week, and Pulisic stole the show in both.

After scoring in Milan's 3-1 Champions League loss to Liverpool, Pulisic put his name on the scoresheet again in Milan's 2-1 win over rivals Inter on Sunday. Pulisic scored the opening goal just 10 minutes in and it was him at his best: confident, direct and, ultimately, composed at the end of it all.

When Pulisic is playing at this level, he's among the most dynamic wingers in the world. That's why Milan bought him, and he continues to repay their faith every week. This was his third Serie A goal of the season, and he's just getting started.

Every week, Pulisic seems to make a difference. If a few of his Milan teammates could reach that sort of level, the Rossoneri could very well make a title push this season. A derby win over a very good Inter team will get that going as, once again, Pulisic led the charge from the front.

Hey, it required a little bit of luck, but you make your own luck, right? Busio made his on Saturday with his goal against Genoa, but you can't say it wasn't deserved.

Busio's 63rd-minute cross found its way into the back of the net on Saturday, leading Venezia to the club's first Serie A win of the season. That goal was also Busio's first since returning to Serie A, having made mincemeat of Serie B last season to earn Venezia promotion.

With that promotion, Busio is now back on a bigger stage at the perfect time. As things stand, he's a little way down the midfield depth chart for the USWMNT, which has become increasingly crowded in recent months. There's a very quick way to climb that depth chart, though: sustained performances in Serie A.

Venezia may be in for a grind of a season. It's never easy for a newly-promoted team to solidify their place in a top flight. If they do, though, Busio will likely have played a huge part. And if he does that, the USMNT will need to take a closer look. Serie A has suddenly turned into the USMNT's proving ground, and Busio is the latest to make his mark.

Say what you want about Manchester United, but they'll still always be a big challenge for teams outside of the Big Six. Chris Richards and Crystal Palace handled that challenge about as well as you can defensively.

Starting on the left side of a back three, Richards stood tall all game long, shutting out Man Utd in a scoreless draw at Selhurst Park. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing game by any stretch, but Richards isn't there to aesthetically please; he's there to prevent goals.

He did plenty of that. His three tackles were the highest in the match. He won five of his seven duels. Anything Man Utd threw at him, Richards swatted away. Doing that against a top team will always be impressive.

Players are often measured by how they respond to difficult things. Brenden Aaronson continues to respond week in, week out.

His return to Leeds was met with trepidation, both from those that support the club and the USMNT. He struggled during his lone season in the Premier League and struggled again in the Bundesliga. How would he handle the rough and tumble Championship with what almost certainly was his final chance?

The answer has been clear. Aaronson has arrived.

He provided another assist this weekend in Leeds' 2-0 win over Cardiff, taking his season total to three goal contributions in just six games. The assist itself was lovely: a perfectly-weighted through-ball to Joel Piroe to put the game away.

He won Leeds' Player of the Month in August, but that may not have just been a hot start; it may have been a sign of things to come.

Strikers always need goals, but Balogun really needed his this weekend.

It's been a tough start to the season for the American, who has gone in and out of the lineup at Monaco. Since moving to the club, he's struggled to recapture the form that made him a Ligue 1 star at Reims. So far, it's all been so up and down.

Sunday was an up, though. Benefitting from Monaco's press, Balogun picked his spot and provided the finish to put the bow on a 3-1 win over Le Havre. The goal was his first of the season, and it'll likely take some weight off his shoulders.

Strikers all feel that pressure when things aren't going well. They're defined by their goals, after all, so when they aren't coming, everything gets a bit more urgent. Balogun, generally, doesn't seem to let that affect him but, even so, this was an important development.

Now he'll look to carry that momentum forward as the club season really gets going.

• Weston McKennie was back in the XI for Juventus. It seems he's earning manager Thiago Motta's trust.
• Tim Weah came off the bench in that Juve draw. Let's hope he can stay fit for a while.
• Antonee Robinson was fantastic again in Fulham's 3-1 win over Newcastle, but that's expected these days, right?
• Malik Tillman is just about unstoppable with PSV as he scored two more goals in another win. Should this be his last season in the Eredivisie? Probably.
• Auston Trusty got his first start for Celtic in a League Cup clash with Falkirk. After appearing in the Champions League midweek, it seems he's on his way.
• He's way down the striker depth chart, but Jordan Pefok stole the show in Union Berlin's 2-0 win over Hoffenheim, providing an assist in a Man of the Match performance.