AS Monaco beat Lens 2-1 to return to top of Ligue 1
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
A hard-fought home win at Stade Louis-II on Friday evening puts Filipe Luis's side back at the summit of Ligue 1 after five matchdays.
AS Monaco returned to the top of Ligue 1 on Friday night, defeating RC Lens 2-1 at Stade Louis-II in a fifth-round fixture that proved tougher than the scoreline suggests. Lens arrived in the Principality in a state of upheaval, having replaced head coach Dino Toppmöller with Yannick Cahuzac earlier in the week, yet they pushed Monaco hard before the hosts secured the three points.
The victory lifts Filipe Luis's squad back to the summit of the French top flight ahead of the weekend's remaining fixtures. It is the kind of result that matters beyond the table: Monaco have now won at home under pressure, against a side with nothing to lose under a new manager, which says something useful about their character at this early stage of the season.