It was the 2011/12 season when the Parisians were set to begin their spell of dominance in the French top flight, but Montpellier wasn’t just going to sit back and watch PSG ruin the league.
That fateful season marked the end of the Ligue 1’s competitiveness as Montpellier secured the title and PSG finished second with a five point gap over reigning champions Lille.
Fast forward to 2016, PSG has won the Ligue 1 title in four successive seasons in an alarmingly routine manner, but that crazy spell of dominance could come to an abrupt end this season. Why? Well, it seems like the league has had enough.
Last season was epic for the Paris outfit but sad for the Ligue 1 – it proved that second place should be celebrated in the same vein as winning the League following PSG’s astonishing title victory.
With 30 wins, six draws and two defeats, PSG finished the season with a 31 point gap over Lyon and Monaco who ended the campaign with 65 points each.
This season, though, offers a lot more allure, competition and intrigue with the Ligue 1 title seemingly up for grab by anyone. PSG have fallen by the wayside (by their own standards) as Unai Emery’s side is currently third on the league table with 29 points from 13 games.
The Paris outfit has suffered two defeats after just 13 games; a complete contrast to last season’s feat as they were unbeaten up until the 36th game of the campaign. Les Aiglons, who finished at a respectable fourth place last term currently sits atop the Ligue 1 table as Europe’s most in-form side.
Nice’s trophy cabinet hasn’t seen a new league title since the 50’s, a trophy-laden period within which they won their four top-flight titles to date. The previous campaign’s fourth place finish was due in large part to Ben Arfa’s scintillating displays and Claude Puel’s tactical masterclass.
Ben Arfa scored 17 goals and registered six assists last season with an average rating of 7.58 which attracted PSG’s interest. The French forward secured a move to PSG ahead of the new season, but that hasn’t stopped Lucien Favre from taking Nice to the top of the table.
Ben Arfa’s exit surely meant Nice’s success was set to be short-lived. Lucien Favre evidently thought otherwise when he arrived at the club, as he’s revitalised the squad in a similar manner to Southampton and is aiming to pull off a Leicester-type title win.
Favre prefers a three-man defence, and he’s been able to implement his philosophy at Nice with Dante leading the back-three. He’s also got Balotelli back to his best and has the likes of Cyprien and Ricardo Pereira consistently producing the goods.
Monaco is also in with a shout of clinching the league one title this season as they currently sit 2nd on the table, having already secured a victory over PSG.
Zlatan’s exit has taken its toll on PSG as they look to be a shadow of their former selves. It’s either that or everybody else in the league just got better
