The Ligue 1 Uber Eats title battle is more than ever between four clubs following Monaco's impressive 2-0 win at champions Paris Saint-Germain.
With Lyon and LOSC having scored victories earlier in the weekend, the top four are covered by a mere six points with 12 matches to play. LOSC responded to Lyon's 3-2 success at Brest on Friday night by scoring a magnificent 4-1 win at Lorient on Sunday afternoon.
It was a timely return to form for Christophe Galtier's side, held 0-0 at home by Brest the previous weekend and beaten by Ajax in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening. Captain José Fonte was among the scorers as LOSC managed a club record seventh consecutive away win.
Galtier: "Our most controlled match of the season"
Galtier said: "It was our most controlled match of the season. I am very satisfied with the victory, an important one. I am satisfied with the performance as well as we showed something else to what we did against Brest. We were more enterprising and showed more in attack. Winning here is no small achievement as Lorient had gone unbeaten in five matches."
Garcia: "Kick and rush"
OL are second in the table, three points back from LOSC, following their success in windy western France. Lyon raced into a three-goal lead in the first half but were hanging on at the end following a Brest fightback.
Coach Rudi Garcia said: "In the second half we had to hang in there as it was a real fight. It resembled an English game from 30 or 40 years ago as it was kick and rush. We could have done better, but we hit the post and had chances for a fourth goal so I'm not going to criticise the attack."
PSG have already lost six league games this season, their worst record since the Atari takeover in 2011, and are in danger of losing their Ligue 1 Uber Eats crown, now a point back from OL and only two points ahead of Monaco, who completed the win double over PSG this season thanks to goals from Sofiane Diop and Guillermo Maripan.
Five days on from battering Barcelona, PSG fired blanks with Kylian Mbappé - a hat-trick hero at the Nou Camp - frustrated by his former club. PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said: "Monaco played well defensively. We had 75% possession but lacked ideas in the final third. We didn't play well and Monaco took their chances. We weren't at the level needed to win the match and that doesn't concern only Kylian."
Kovac plays down title challenge
Monaco coach Niko Kovac refuses to see his side as title contenders: "The question is legitimate but I'm sticking to my position. We are not at the same level as Paris, Lille and Lyon. The objective is to build a gap over the clubs behind us… Axel Disasi had played less frequently recently because Guillermo Maripan put together a run of brilliant displays.We know that Mbappé is world class. Axel showed a great ability to nullify Mbappé's pace and put in a great match."
Lens are fifth following a 2-1 win over Dijon, with Franck Haise's side 12 points adrift of Monaco but two points clear of the quartet of Metz, Marseille, Rennes and Montpellier. Montpellier beat Rennes 2-1 thanks to a double by English forward Stephy Mavididi, Marseille needed a Dimitri Payet equaliser to draw 1-1 at Nantes and Metz enjoyed a 2-1 success at Nice.
Nîmes were 2-0 home winners against Bordeaux and should they beat Lorient on Wednesday they'll climb above both Les Merlus and Nantes to go 17th in the table. Strasbourg were held 0-0 at home by Angers and Saint-Etienne needed a late equaliser to snatch a draw against Reims.