Ligue 1 round-up: Arsenal target continues to excel in France

Lyon delivered Paris Saint-Germain their first league defeat of the season in Ligue 1, allowing Lille to cut their lead at the top of the table to 10 points.

At the opposite end of the season, Monaco ended a six-game winless streak in the league with three points at home to Toulouse. Here we round up the top five WhoScored rated players from gameweek 23.

5. Thiago Mendes (Lille) – 8.16 rating

Lille’s forward players took all of the credit in their 4-0 win over Nice at the weekend but Thiago Mendes put down the foundations for them to flourish. The 26-year-old completed seven tackles and interceptions combined and also contributed further forward. Mendes completed two dribbles and registered three key passes. He was economical in possession, completing 91.5% of his passes. No Lille player touched the ball more than the Brazilian (74).

4. Teji Savanier (Nimes) – 8.20 rating

Teji Savanier is enjoying a stunning campaign for the newly promoted Ligue 1 side and that continued at the weekend. The 27-year-old supplied the assist for Nimes’ opener and registered one more key pass. Savanier was also fouled five times by Toulouse players, while completing eight tackles and interceptions combined. Savanier was linked with a January move to Galatasaray and you get the sense there will be more sides interested in the Frenchman at the end of the season.

3. Loick Landre (Nimes) – 8.28 rating

Loick Landre is the second of two Nimes players in the top five rated players after netting in their 1-1 draw with Montpellier on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who has now scored in successive home league matches, made six interceptions at the weekend, as many as his previous seven league games combined. The Nimes centre-back also made eight clearances to help his side secure a point.

2. Aleksandr Golovin (Monaco) – 8.58 rating

Aleksandr Golovin has been a relative disaster for Monaco since completing a move to the Principality club in the wake of his performances at the 2018 World Cup. However, the Russia international has now scored in successive matches in all competitions and Monaco will hope he has turned a corner in his career. Golovin had four shots in total against Toulouse, completed three dribbles and also registered three key passes.

1. Nicolas Pepe (Lille) – 9.03 rating

Lille succeeded in holding onto Nicolas Pepe in January but will surely struggle at the end of the season. The 23-year-old has been a revelation in France this term and turned in another match-winning display on Friday night. Pepe scored one and assisted another in a 4-0 triumph at home to Nice. Pepe also completed four dribbles and registered two more key passes. The Ivorian winger has now played a direct hand in 24 goals in 23 league games this season, including 11 goals and assists in his last nine outings in the competition.