Last time Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) failed to win the Ligue 1 title was in the 2011/12 season. A special season in the French top flight, as it marked the last time the tussle at the top of the table was fun to watch.
Montpellier secured their first Ligue 1 title that fateful season, while Paris Saint-Germain finished second on the League table with a five point gap over third placed Lille who were the defending champions.
Fast forward four seasons later, the Ligue 1 has undergone a transition to accommodate PSG’s massive spending power which has seen them clinch the Ligue 1 title four times in a row.
The allure and intrigue of the French top flight have diminished over the past few years as the title is PSG’s for the taking.
One of PSG’s closest rivals, AS Monaco, have come close to ending their reign of monopolistic dominance in the Ligue 1 but Monaco’s points tally has been a far cry from PSG’s, due in large part to the massive investments the Qatari-owned Parisians have made in the past few years.
Monaco has notably made investments of their own with the signing of wonderkids and highly-rated players such as Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar and Joao Moutinho, but surely they can’t be compared to the likes of Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani.
PSG suffered their first defeat in the Ligue 1 after three matches, which is surprising judging by the fact that it took them 36 fixtures to lose a game last season and that defeat came against Lyon, a tie that PSG lost 2-1.
August 28th saw PSG succumb to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Monaco, and if anything, early indicators suggest that Monaco are currently at the top of their game.
The exit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the Parc de Princes has tremendously reduced PSG’s potency in front of goal, but it’s worth noting that they are still quite lethal in attack.
In a similar vein, the Parisians’ astronomical goal tally more often than not divides them from the rest of the pack. It will most likely see a reduction hence giving Monaco a chance to launch a viable title challenge.
Against Monaco, PSG dominated possession, but they lacked cutting-edge finishing which reflected on the scoreline.
The goalscoring burden has been seemingly passed down to Edinson Cavani. New signing Jese is set to be slowly introduced into the fray.
Monaco appears to have grown massively behind the scenes. Their players look more focused and determined to have a strong League campaign.
Their status as the Ligue 1’s second-best side could change this season with a possible title challenge on the cards after their win against the defending champions.
While it’s still early days in the Ligue 1, we might witness the title change hands for the first time in four seasons if Monaco can keep their wits about them.