Stats & Facts: A look back at the game against Lille

AUTUMN CHAMPIONS!

After results elsewhere in Ligue 1 went their way at the weekend, Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned autumn champions before they even play against Lille. It's the tenth time in the last 13 seasons that the capital club has earned this honorary title and the 15th time that it has done so in its entire history, having been top of the table at the halfway stage in 1985–1986, 1988–1989, 1993–1994, 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 2011–2012, 2012–2013, 2013–2014, 2015–2016, 2017–2018, 2018–2019, 2019–2020, 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. In fact, Les Rouge et Bleu have been crowned French champions in eight of the last nine campaigns in which they have led the way going into the Christmas break, with the only exception coming in 2011–2012, when they finished second behind Montpellier.

With 37 points on the board – five more than their closest competitors, OGC Nice – Paris may well extend their lead at the top of the table in their final game of 2023, against Metz on Wednesday, which would give them a nice, strong cushion to hold onto for the winter.

IT certainly isn'T GRIM UP NORTH FOR MBAPPÉ

After finding the back of the net yet again on Sunday, this time from the penalty spot, Kylian Mbappé continues to tear up the record books. Thanks to his 16th goal of the season and his fifth from 12 yards, Ligue 1's top scorer has stormed further ahead at the top of the league's goalscoring charts – and not just for this season, either. As it turns out, having now scored 180 goals in Ligue 1 (164 for Paris and 16 for Monaco), Mbappé has become the French top flight's eighth-highest scorer of all time, overtaking Gunnar Andersson and Carlos Bianchi (179 goals each) in the process.

Against Lille, too, Mbappé seems to go all out. The striker has now been involved in 17 goals against LOSC in all competitions, with 11 goals scored and six assists provided. In fact, he has only racked up this many goal contributions against one other team in his career: Montpellier.

HAKIMI the centurion

By coming off the bench yesterday, Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi made his 100th appearance for Les Rouge et Bleu. The Morocco international has scored 13 goals and provided 16 assists since joining the club in July 2021.