With the help of two goals from Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid easily defeated Villarreal on Saturday and regained the top spot in the La Liga table.
Alvaro Arbeloa's side moved two points ahead of rivals Barcelona, who host Real Oviedo on Sunday, as the league's leading scorer continued his fine form.
Mbappe took his La Liga tally to 21 goals for the season, helping Los Blancos overcome a spirited Villarreal team that remains fourth in the La Liga standings.
Also read: Mbappe proud of equaling Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid calendar-year goal record
The win is Real Madrid's third consecutive win in all competitions and could prove to be a decisive step in the revival of their campaign.
Following a shock defeat to second-tier Albacete in Arbeloa's Copa del Rey debut, Madrid have begun to find their rhythm under the former defender.
The coach has repeatedly underlined the importance of his star players, and none has been more impressive this season than Mbappe, who has now scored 34 goals in all competitions.
“(Mbappé and Vinicius) are the best players in the world,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV.
“They're players that can really unbalance teams, so we try to get the ball to them as much as possible.
“I'm very pleased with the form they are in and, above all, the work they are doing. They are fully committed to the team, first and foremost pressing, and they are giving the effort and togetherness we need. It is perfect that their reward comes in the form of goals.”
