Monaco continued their strong start to the Ligue 1 season with a 2-1 victory over Lens on Friday, with Paris Brunner once again getting his name on the scoresheet.
The 20-year-old striker opened the scoring in the 32nd minute as Monaco took control of the game at home. Lens managed to fight their way back after the break, but Monaco eventually found the winning goal when defender Jonathan Gradit turned the ball into his own net six minutes before full-time.
The victory means Monaco now have four wins and one draw from their first five league matches. They moved three points clear at the top of the table after another positive night in front of their home supporters.
Brunner has been one of the biggest talking points around Monaco in the early weeks of the season. The striker has now scored six goals, doing a good job of filling the gap created by the absence of Folarin Balogun.
Balogun was expected to leave Monaco for the Premier League, but the proposed move did not happen. He was eventually introduced as a late substitute against Lens, making his first appearance for the club since his involvement with the United States at the World Cup in July.
For Lens, the defeat was another disappointing result during what has been a difficult week. The club parted ways with coach Dino Toppmoller on Tuesday, just six matches into his time in charge.
Lens had hoped the trip to Monaco could provide a positive response, and Matthieu Udol gave them reason to believe when he equalised 12 minutes into the second half. The visitors also had other opportunities to take the lead, but they could not find another goal.
Instead, the decisive moment went against them late in the match. Monaco kept pushing forward and their pressure eventually resulted in Gradit putting the ball into his own net.
Lens remain 10th in the Ligue 1 table with four points from their opening five matches.
Toppmoller’s short spell at the club had already produced some memorable results. He led Lens to the French Super Cup victory over Paris Saint-Germain in his first match in charge. His team also started the league campaign with a 5-0 win over Auxerre and later secured a Champions League victory away to Sparta Prague.
Despite those results, Toppmoller was dismissed after concerns were raised about the atmosphere within the coaching staff. Lens said the decision followed discussions about the squad and the way the coaching department was organised.
The club explained that it wanted to make changes to the structure of the coaching team, but Toppmoller did not agree with the proposed changes. His two assistants also left their positions.
Lens have since appointed Yannick Cahuzac as his replacement, but that decision has already attracted criticism. Sporting director Jean-Louis Leca has faced questions over the appointment because of his close relationship with Cahuzac and the coach’s limited experience in management.
The two men are both from Corsica and grew up there together. Cahuzac has also been criticised over his coaching qualifications, adding another layer to what has already been a difficult period for Lens.
While Lens continue to deal with uncertainty off the pitch, Monaco can focus on their excellent start to the new Ligue 1 campaign. Brunner’s goals have been an important part of that early success, and the young striker will now be hoping he can maintain his scoring form as the season continues.
