Premier League team of the week: Hazard, Pedro keep Chelsea rolling

After a festive period featuring some great individual performances, theScore puts together a best XI from the latest slate of Premier League fixtures.

The lineup

GK - Ben Foster

Arguably the best display from a goalkeeper this season. Ben Foster is the reason Arsenal didn't obliterate West Brom at the Emirates, as the 33-year-old made no less than 10 saves in the contest; a double-stop on Alex Iwobi and Alexis Sanchez stood out among the group. That he was eventually beaten by Olivier Giroud doesn't take away from his brilliance on the day.

CB - Calum Chambers

Chambers, like the rest of the Middlesbrough squad, was unlucky to leave Burnley empty-handed. The defender, on loan from Arsenal, is developing greater maturity and a reading of the game in a central role, nipping in with six interceptions and seven clearances on Boxing Day.

CB - Ashley Williams

While his old club Swansea didn't bother defending against West Ham, Williams showed what it was missing in Leicester. Everton's barrel-chested centre-half belted it clear of danger 14 times and even made Ramiro Funes Mori alongside him appear capable.

CB - James Milner

Yes, deploying Milner in a back three is a bit of a stretch, but Liverpool's auxiliary left-back is so versatile you suspect he could do a job between the sticks. Once again, the Yorkshire lad got forward well, but it was his game-high nine tackles that set him apart in the Reds' 4-1 Christmas stuffing of Stoke City.

RM - Andros Townsend

Given a lifeline by Sam Allardyce after he was shunned by Alan Pardew, Andros Townsend put forth his best display of the season against Watford. Yes, he still takes too many shots from terrible, often long-range positions, but his energy and incisiveness down the right side were key, and he provided a sumptuous assist for Yohan Cabaye's opening goal.

CM - Paul Pogba

Watch out, world. Paul Pogba looks to have settled in at Old Trafford. The imperious Frenchman, who Jose Mourinho dubbed as the best in the world, smacked the post with one effort, set up Zlatan Ibrahimovic's tally and was once again a standout performer for the Red Devils, dictating play in a straightforward victory over Sunderland.

CM - Dele Alli

The 20-year-old, much like the rest of his team, hasn't hit the heights of last season quite yet, but Wednesday's two-goal display in the win over Southampton had shades of the 2015-16 Dele Alli that took the Premier League by storm. He rose above Virgil van Dijk to bring his side level, was a constant threat with his incisive runs into the area, and rounded out the scoring with a coolly taken late finish.

LM - Eden Hazard

Drawing trips from Simon Francis and winding around the rest of his Bournemouth colleagues was Chelsea's Hazard - who was supposedly deployed as a false nine, but looked more like a No. 9.5. No one pinged more shots and made more key passes at Stamford Bridge, but his 13 dribbles were breathtaking.

AM - Pedro

The renaissance of Pedro has been one of the unsung reasons for Chelsea's ascent to the top of the Premier League table. The little Spaniard was once again at his buzzing best against Bournemouth, scoring one dazzling curler and then creating Steve Cook's own goal in the waning minutes of the routine 3-0 triumph.

FW - Andy Carroll

Edging out the lively Alexis Sanchez is West Ham's ungainly, brutish frontman Carroll, whose 90th-minute goal added gloss to an outing that saw him help out the backline with four clearances and win an incredible 18 aerial duels. It turns out changing light bulbs isn't where the 6-foot-4 striker's talents end.

FW - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan is rolling. His calm finish in the win over the Black Cats has the red-hot Ibrahimovic boasting 11 goals in his last 10 matches (in all competitions), but it was his all-around display that stood out Monday at Old Trafford. With a team-high five key passes - and two assists - the giant Swede was at the heart of everything United created.