It has not been easy for Kylian Mbappe since his move to Real Madrid this season, but his coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed him as the best striker in the world following the 4-1 victory over Las Palmas on Sunday.

The win took Real made to the top of the LaLiga standings and was orchestrated by a fine performance from Mbappe, who took his tally of goals this campaign to 12 in 18 games in the league, and 17 in 29 in all competitions.

Mbappe played in a more central role as a top striker against Las Palmas, rather than out on either of the wings.

“(Mbappe is) the best centre forward in the world, there should be no doubts as to whether he could play in that position,” Ancelotti said.

“He is a great striker who is very good playing in the centre, rather than on the wing, because that way he can make the most of his unique runs, with speed and technique.”

It had been a rough week for Real in which they lost 5-2 to bitter rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia, and needed extra-time to advance past Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey.

“In times of difficulty, it is necessary to be self-critical and positive in order to move forward,” Ancelotti said.

“There is criticism and criticism. The booing at the Santiago Bernabeu hurt, because the fans are not happy, but it motivates. It was a useful wake-up call for the team, who have put in a good performance.

“Football is like that, but I’m still a bit confused because I’ve heard that we play very bad football but here we are, LaLiga leaders.”

Real are two points ahead of Atletico Madrid in the standings and seven in front of Barcelona.