For four of the past five seasons, PSG have had the honorific title of the “autumn champions” of Ligue 1 but with both AS Monaco and OGC Nice ahead and playing well, that is unlikely to be the case this time around.

Paris Saint-Germain

The year 2016 has not been kind to Paris Saint-Germain. Attempts to usher in the next phase of the project at the Parc des Princes have been stifled as the club has been bedevilled by negativity.

Despite collecting four domestic trophies last season, there is a sense of malaise creeping in. The loss of iconic forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his subsequent replacement in the squad by free transfer of Hatem Ben Arfa subtracted from the club’s sense of invincibility.

The club’s identity has been undermined by an uncertain transfer window, and the unconvincing start to the season has only compounded that. It would not be fair to compare PSG with any other club in French football. Given their immense resources, it is virtually impossible that they could suffer such a fall from grace.

To see Edinson Cavani bail out PSG again and again this season is not surprising. His movement off the ball is fantastic and he has never been so efficient. Cavani still isn’t the most clinical finisher on earth. PSG need a backup striker and will certainly sign one this January to keep up pace.

Unai Emery has struggled under pressure and has been largely underwhelming but there is evidence of a plan. The Spaniard is attempting to change the way his team plays and they are enduring the inevitable teething problems of such a shift. Emery is overseeing a transition to a far younger squad with the potential to eclipse their predecessors, but that takes time. The changes he is making could be fairly termed “creative destruction”, as he deliberately breaks down elements of the successful team that he inherited in an attempt to take them to new highs.

OGC Nice

OGC Nice had an incredible summer transfer window. Even though the departure of Ben Arfa for free to PSG was an incredible loss for the club. They bought important players like Wylan Cyprien, Paul Baysse. They made some shocking transfers in Dante and Younes Belhanda. And toward the end of the window, they brought in Mario Balotelli.

This summer the club appointed Lucien Favre. Favre is known for his excellent performance at Borussia Mönchengladbach and has brought in his defensive mentality to France.

They play with 5 players at the back and Dante is certainly making a difference in all aspects of the game. The midfielders are always trying to play forward and the wing backs are always supporting the midfield. Balotelli has enough space in the attack to create chances. The Italian has been exceptional beyond thought, with six goals this season. His impact on the team, when fit, has been huge. And when he has not been fit, the Eaglets have another top striker in Alassane Plea. The way OGC Nice played from the back gives hope to the fans seeking to watch the beautiful game.

Having played 18 games in their Ligue 1 season, OGC Nice is on the top of the table. The team is in good form, but it lacks of experience and that is visible during the Europa League games. It has been more than fifty years since they were crowned champions.

AS Monaco

Monaco made a few changes from last year. They have basically kept the same core from last season and avoided losing any key players. The return of talented players like Falcao has added to its fire-power and aggression on the pitch.

Leonardo Jardim proved again how good he can be, by adjusting his system to two strikers instead of one, putting Moutinho – who is good but slows the tempo too much – on the bench. Their offensive strength is something that hasn’t been seen in Ligue 1 for a very long time. Falcao is almost scoring with every chances he has. Lemar and Bernardo Silva give the technical superiority and they run the show almost perfectly this season. Glik has become the boss of the defense in three months and is proving to be a very good signing. In Subasic, they have one of the most underrated goalkeepers in Europe.

A month after Christmas, the battle for Ligue 1 championship will hot up.

Picture Courtesy: Winninggoals.com, IndianExpress