Paris Saint-Germain Show Vital Progress in Thumping Victory over Angers
Paris Saint-Germain are getting their groove back.
The scoreline of the home win over Angers may have been modest—at 2-0, it ranks only as PSG's sixth-biggest league victory this season—but there was a palpable sense of a side getting back to their best.
Monaco have been overhauled and now only Nice stand between the champions and their familiar place atop French football.
The Monegasques faltered on the Gold Coast, letting their lead slip to draw 1-1 with Dijon on Tuesday, and opened a gap through which PSG have gratefully sauntered.
"VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: PSG 2-0 Angers #PSGSCO pic.twitter.com/4lVfxa6lpb
— PSG English (@PSG_English) December 1, 2016"
Without fuss, PSG's unbeaten record is up to 12 games, and their winning streak has reached five.
Edinson Cavani continues his better-than-a-goal-per-game record, and the club's already impressive defensive statistics are consistently improving.
Understanding is evident across the pitch.
This was a step forward in terms of performance, but there was also an obvious emotional strain to the match.
From Rai, Leonardo and Ronaldinho to the current squad, PSG are a club with a rich connection to Brazilian football.
The shadow of the Chapecoense air disaster hung over this game, and it was the Brazilian connection that got them up and running.
Thiago Silva delicately placed his header, from a wicked Lucas Moura corner, beyond Mathieu Michel.
"Lucas provided Thiago Silva with a perfect pass earlier today. pic.twitter.com/Ilh9XAYXDS
— #ChapecoenseEdition (@BrazilEdition) November 30, 2016"
Speaking after the game, the PSG captain explained, via ESPN, "it was a long time since we had scored from a corner. Tonight we did. A goal made in Brazil, a very symbolic goal."
Cavani was keen to make his own tribute and, giving the Parisians some welcome breathing space with his successful penalty midway through the second half, he got his chance.
His celebration was dedicated to his Brazilian team-mates and the victims of the disaster in Colombia.
He was booked for it, but he made his point.
The Uruguayan now has exactly 100 goals in his PSG career and, having moved level with Dominique Rocheteau as the club's third-highest-scoring player, has his sights on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's all-time mark of 156.
According to L'Equipe, Nasser Al-Khelaifi has taken personal charge of Cavani's contract negotiations.
If the president gets his way, Cavani will remain in the capital long enough to remake the club's record books.
The penalty itself was won by the quick feet of Hatem Ben Arfa, who is continuing to grow into the team after a slow start.
He has started back-to-back games for the first time since early August and is leaving his mark on games as the club hoped he would when signing him in the summer.
His last league goal remains a winner for Nice in April but, on this evidence, that clock will soon be reset.
Against Angers, he was less about stepovers and more focused on carrying the ball past opposition defenders.
His unique ability to reset the defensive shape of an opponent with a single move is hugely valuable and gives PSG's attack a different dimension.
If he can continue to attract defenders with his slashing runs, Cavani will surely enjoy greater space in which to run and continue his rich goalscoring form.
Angers have been inconsistent this season, but they are no pushovers. Their pace on the counter meant they carried a constant threat, but PSG have the meanest defence in Europe for a reason.
If Silva had not produced a magisterial performance, a throwback to his best years in Serie A, the visitors might have converted more of their not inconsiderable number of chances.
Presnel Kimpembe was an assured presence alongside, too, but Silva was a man possessed.
SCO's most effective forward, the Senegalese Famara Diedhiou, was rather unusually left on the bench until Cavani's penalty essentially ended the contest, but Silva dealt ably with his threat and those of his team-mates.
Silva has taken time to adapt to playing without fellow Brazilian David Luiz this season, but the captain has looked more assured in recent weeks.
Unai Emery is clearly feeling more comfortable, too.
Having been reluctant to rotate in his first months at the club, the Spaniard happily left Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti out of the squad to face Angers and was rewarded with a comfortable victory.
PSG have a tremendous advantage over their rivals in terms of squad strength.
While the miraculous Maxwell played his fourth game in 10 days, there was rotation at right-back, centre-back, attack and midfield.
Thomas Meunier, a match-winning substitute against Lyon, started in place of Serge Aurier.
Young forward Jonathan Ikone also got a rare opportunity to start but, while he was willing, he was rather unconvincing.
Grzegorz Krychowiak was also unimpressive.
Like Benjamin Stambouli before him, Krychowiak is a purely defensive midfielder struggling to be effective in a team that dominates possession in most of their games.
A pair of wayward shots and a booking for an unnecessarily rough challenge were his main contributions against Angers, but he completed 90 minutes for the first time since mid-October.
Emery was able to give Jese another 30 minutes and needed not even call upon Angel Di Maria.
The Argentinian has missed three games now, but having finally made the substitutes' bench against Angers, his return to the starting lineup must be imminent.
Stephane Moulin, who has been Angers boss since before QSI reshaped French football, admitted that he too saw signs of cohesion in PSG's performance.
According to AFP (via L'Equipe, in French), Moulin said "I think they will be more and more difficult to play against. When we approach the month of May, they will show their superiority.''
In classic French idiomatic style, Moulin summed up PSG's apparent progress, saying "we think that the mayonnaise is starting to set."
This PSG side, Emery's first batch in France, have stayed in touch with the leaders while still being put together.
Once this mayonnaise is ready, they'll leave their domestic competitors well behind again.
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