Kylian Mbappe is shining brightest in a PSG squad full of stars

Paris Saint-Germain took to the field on Sunday night wearing shirts designed with golden details to celebrate Lionel Messi's receipt of a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or.

The little magician's arrival in the summer added to Mauricio Pochettino's side's depth of jaw-dropping quality, while he was expected to - just about - hog the limelight while his world-class colleagues adopted supporting roles.

An already big pond became a gargantuan pond - or a lake, if you will - with the acquisition of one of the world's greatest ever talents. But while the Argentinian's acclimatisation to life in Paris has been a disappointingly gradual process, one man has stepped up to be the star of the show.

In a largely insipid beginning to the season, in which Messi has been awarded another big golden ball to cram onto a busy shelf and Neymar's form has severely underwhelmed, Kylian Mbappe has for the large majority been the one to step up, the one to inspire, the one saving grace for PSG.

Heading into Sunday night's tricky battle with Monaco, the French superstar had registered 11 goals and 14 assists in 22 appearances across Ligue 1 and the Champions League this campaign.

As the final whistle blew at the Parc des Princes, a brace against his former employers had increased his goal tally to 13 and proved his status as the biggest - or best performing - fish in PSG's pond.

His performance in that 2-0 win over Monaco epitomised the role he has played for his side throughout the campaign thus far. He was simply electric, thrilling to watch, and utterly pivotal.

The Frenchman was quite frankly running rings around a tenacious and tough Monaco lineup, while earning his side a win by converting a top performance into something tangible.

As well as playing a central role to his side's quick and fluid build-up play, carrying the ball forward with an almost inimitable drive and thrust and generally dazzling in every facet of the game, it was his clinical touch that proved crucial for the Parisians.

His first strike of the night came from the penalty spot while his second was a stunning bit of finishing. Messi's work created the opportunity as he set away on the counter attack, but it was Mbappe's ferociously elegant curling finish that put PSG into a comfortable ascendancy before the break.

It was yet another occasion dominated by the spectacular Mbappe - while some half-decent players line up alongside him.

PSG's two previous outings should breed optimism for Pochettino's side as a collective entity. It seems as though the side are developing into something other than a couple of stars and eight or nine mobile mannequins.

However, what is evident from the team's campaign so far, and even in collectively aesthetic displays like Sunday's victory over Monaco, is that in a group packed with glittering stars, Mbappe is shining brightest for PSG.