PSG have responded positively to the pressure piling up on them after their Ligue 1 lead was cut because of their poor run of results.
After losing 3-1 to AS Monaco on February 12th, the Parisiens got back on track with back-to-back wins against Marseille and Lille, and now their lead has extended to at least eight points.
Kylian Mbappe has been the central figure in PSG’s recent success, and all eyes will be on him when they host Nantes tomorrow at Parc des Princes.
Meanwhile, Jonathan David and Folarin Balogun are also in great form for their respective teams, and they’re in second and third place in the Golden Boot race, respectively. And Alexandre Lacazette is currently on the mend for Lyon.
Read more below as SBOTOP features several French top-flight stars who have been making headlines in the Ligue 1 2023 news.
Kylian Mbappe on the verge of another milestone
Kylian Mbappe scored a brace in their 3-0 win against Marseille, which took him level with Edinson Cavani as PSG’s top goalscorer of all time. So, if he finds the back of the net against Nantes this weekend, he will become the team’s undisputed all-time leading scorer.
Also, in between his two strikes in the aforementioned game, Mbappe teed up Lionel Messi to score his 700th club career goal.
Mbappe should get his 201st career goal at PSG tomorrow since Nantes are in bad form right now. They’ve lost three of their last five league games, falling to 13th in the standings.
He is also the frontrunner for this year’s Golden Boot with 17 goals and three assists. With Neymar sidelined once again due to injury, Mbappe and Messi will be tasked with shouldering the offencive load, and Mbappe’s numbers are going to increase.
The 24-year-old striker had already won the last four Golden Boots here in Ligue 1 from 2019 to 2022, and the Ligue 1 2023 odds like his chances to win it again.
Jonathan David attracting suitors
Jonathan David is second behind Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race with 15 goals and four assists. He has been prolific for Lille this season, and scouts from various clubs have already taken notice.
When Manchester United was still searching for a striker, David was once linked to them, but that interest has subsided after Wout Weghorst’s arrival.
And RB Leipzig has now entered the fray, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Red Bulls admire David’s versatility to play either as a target man or as a second striker, but they’ll need to work out a deal with Lille, who are unlikely to sell him for a cheap price.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham are also rumoured to be keeping an eye on the Canadian striker.
David’s current contract with Les Dogues runs until 2025, but it’s an open secret that he wants to move to a bigger team this summer. Right now, his transfer value is between €39.4-M and €65.7-M according to Transfermarkt.
Folarin Balogun gives Arsenal a huge dilemma
Folarin Balogun has been on fire for Reims this season, recording 15 goals and one assist. He is the third-top goal scorer in Ligue 1 this season, with only Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David having scored more in the French top-flight.
Because Balogun’s in great form, he’ll attract attention from all across Europe, which leaves Arsenal in a conundrum since it’s his mother club.
Arsenal will have to think long and hard about Balogun’s future since Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Eddie Nketiah are ahead of him in the pecking order, and Balogun is not keen to play second fiddle.
Balogun’s contract with the Gunners runs until 2025, and if they sell him, they can command a hefty fee given his current form.
And Arsenal could use that money as funds to fill their other roster needs, such as those of a midfielder, a winger, or a full-back.
Alexandre Lacazette working his way back
Lyon are itching to get back into Ligue 1’s top four and Alexandre Lacazette’s return couldn’t come soon enough.
Les Gones are currently ninth in the Ligue 1 table with 38 points. However, they’ve won three of their last four matches.
The former Arsenal man is Les Gomes’ top goalscorer this season, with 14 goals and four assists, but he hasn’t played since their 2-1 home win against Lens on February 13th due to a strained hamstring.
According to a report from Le Progres, Lacazette resumed training earlier this week, and he could make his return in their Coupe de France quarter-final tie against Grenoble next week.
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