Stats & Facts: A look back at the win over Metz

and that's a wrap for 2023

What a year it's been once again for Paris Saint-Germain, who were crowned French champions for the 11th time back in May and now lead the way at the halfway stage in the current campaign. As well as earning themselves the honorary title of autumn champions for the tenth top-flight season in the 13 that they've played since 2011–12, PSG have racked up the highest number of points (81) of any team in Ligue 1 in 2023 – a feat that they have now achieved 15 times in the era of wins being worth three points, thereby doing so four more times than any other side.

Les Rouge et Bleu also know a thing or two about ending the calendar year on a high, as they haven't lost a single one of their last 13 year-ending matches in Ligue 1, registering ten wins and three draws ever since losing 2-0 to Nancy on 22nd December 2010.

Finally, following on from 2018 and 2022, this is the third time that Kylian Mbappé has ended the calendar year as Paris's top scorer in Ligue 1, thereby pulling level with Dominique Rocheteau's record. Having scored 52 goals in 53 games in 2023, the striker has only been more prolific in 2022, when he netted 56 times in 56 matches.

BROTHERS IN ARMS

With Kylian and Ethan Mbappé both featuring in last night's encounter, a little bit of history was made, as it was the first time since Gilles and François Brisson did so in the 1977–78 season that two brothers had played in a competitive fixture together for Paris Saint-Germain. In fact, at 16 years, 11 months and 22 days old, Ethan became the joint sixth-youngest player to step onto the pitch for the capital club in its history, perfectly matching Bartholomew Ogbeche's record in this respect, while it was a lovely birthday present for Kylian, too, who celebrated turning 25 by bagging himself a brace and equalling Edinson Cavani's tally of 110 goals at the Parc des Princes in the process.

Having already done so against SM Caen in 2017, this was the second time that Paris's no. 7 had scored on his birthday, but he also became the first player to treat himself to a birthday brace in Ligue 1 since Pauleta pulled this off for Bordeaux against Rennes on 28th April 2001. FC Metz are also a team that KM7 particularly enjoys preying on, having scored 12 goals in eight Ligue 1 fixtures against them – his highest individual goal tally against a single side.