Angers were the unlikely pretenders to the Ligue 1 top spot ahead of this weekend, but PSG firmly put them in their place with a comprehensive 4-0 victory at the Parc des Princes, with four different players getting on the scoresheet.
The only non-PSG player to feature is Nicolas de Preville, who was excellent for Bordeaux versus Toulouse.
It may have taken the former Sevilla winger a little while to get going in Paris, but his performance against Angers showed how effective he can be. His goal was the first of the game, and although he was given a helping hand by an odd attempted save from the keeper, the incisive dribble before the finish was lovely. He then gained a pair of assists, the first of which allowed Mauro Icardi to score. The second was quite clearly an attempted shot on goal which was diverted into the path of Idrissa Gueye to divert home, but he won't mind. Overall, he created three 'big' chances for PSG, and will be delighted to finally get off the mark for his new club with a goal.
De Preville got Bordeaux off to a flyer in their match against Toulouse, scoring in the first minute with a deflected strike across goal into the corner after a quick breakaway. Thereafter, he nearly recorded a second with a magnificent free-kick which unfortunately, for him, cannoned off the crossbar. He had to settle for couple of assists instead, with the first coming via a brilliant, whipped cross into the box from a set-piece. The second was a simple pass inside for Hwang Ui-jo to score a beauty from range.
Back to PSG now, and a deserved entry for Gueye as he scored his first league goal for the Parisiens. It came in fortunate fashion as Sarabia's wayward shot on goal came to his feet, but the subsequent finish was neat as the former Everton man had little time to react. It was in the middle of the park he was effective, as he usually is, though, as he completed 118/124 attempted passes and created two 'big' chances that were spurned by team-mates.
Going even further back in PSG's formation, Kimpembe was a rock at the back against Angers. While the attacking players will steal the headlines, he and Thiago Silva provided the base in defence to allow the creative types to operate. The 24-year-old won 10/13 duels, 5/6 tackles, and made 14 ball recoveries which is comfortably more than anyone else in the league this week. Perhaps the most remarkable stat, however, is that he completed 102/104 passes!
Like Kimpembe, Herrera's high rating comes from his defensive responsibilities as well as his control over possession. He had a superb pass completion too, with 70 out of 73 attempts reaching a team-mate, while he made 11 interceptions and won no less than 100% of his tackles in the middle of the park. To top it all off, he recorded an assist for the opener as he played a pass out wide for his compatriot, Sarabia.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Montpellier moved up to seventh in the Ligue 1 table and heaped more misery on Monaco largely thanks to the performance of Florent Mollet (8.5) in a 3-1 victory. He scored the first with a simple header after having a hand in the build-up, and assisted the third with a whipped cross to the back post.
ROUND TO FORGET
Baptiste Reynet (5.1) conceded three in between the sticks for Toulouse as they were defeated 3-1 by Bordeaux, and although there were no huge errors from him on the day, he was pretty ineffective between the sticks, making just the one save all night.
