Premier League Week 9: Top 5 performers

4. Pedro torments the Manchester United defense

This choice was a tossup between Eden Hazard and Pedro, both of whom caused United’s defense fits in Chelsea’s 4-0 victory. But Pedro gets the nod, mostly due to the impact his opening goal had on the match. The diminutive winger was spry and full of pep for the big match and turned the game on its head less than a minute after kickoff.

He left Daley Blind in the dust and easily beat a drowsy, flat-footed Chris Smalling to the ball for the game’s opening goal, which blew Jose Mourinho’s gameplan to smithereens. Pedro, who had the beating of Blind all day long, linked up well with Diego Costa for the duration.

Blind, like most United players, deliberated on the ball too long and had his pocket picked by Pedro in another example of the Spanish winger’s dominance. Pedro dashed down the wing and almost, if not for David de Gea’s outstretched leg, picked out Costa for what would have been the simplest of tap ins.

Obviously buying into Antonio Conte’s high-press system, Pedro harassed United’s defense at every turn. As impressive was Pedro’s commitment to the Chelsea cause. He tracked back and was responsible for breaking up many United attacks, even in the usually unfamiliar confines of his own box.

And Pedro was direct, positive and creative in possession, embodying a perfectly balanced package Conte would love to consistently see.

He wasn’t done there, either. Pedro was influential in Chelsea’s fourth goal, spearheading the movement with a delicate and deft one-touch flick to N’Golo Kante. Kante still had a lot to do, and Smalling’s defending once again left a lot to be desired, but the play was all made possible by Pedro’s skill and imaginative nous. United will be relieved to see the back of Pedro for a while.