Chris Wildgoose | Sports Journalist

After four years of the Paris Saint-Germain monopoly, the tables appear to finally have turned in France’s Ligue 1.

Are the Parisian outfit simply missing their talismanic goal scorer Zlatan Ibrahimović? The Swede finished as top scorer in three of the last four seasons, amassing an incredible 113 goals in the process as Les Rouge-et-Bleu cantered to the title each time.

Head coach Unai Emery, brought in to replace Laurent Blanc, had hoped to fill the void left by Ibrahimović with the signing of Jesé from Real Madrid in the summer. But the Spaniard has failed to live up to expectations and appears to be out of favour with just one goal in nine league games.

More recently, Germany international Julian Draxler has arrived from Wolfsburg in an attempt to kick start the Parisian’s season. A debut goal in a 7-0 Coupe de France victory over SC Bastia was soon followed by the winner on his league debut at Stade Rennais to keep PSG within striking distance of Monaco and Nice, who currently occupy the top two spots.

In Edinson Cavani, Emery has a proven goal scorer at his disposal – no longer playing second fiddle to Ibrahimović. The Uruguayan is averaging a goal a game this campaign as he looks to fire his side to a fifth consecutive league crown.

Or perhaps competition for the title become fiercer? At this stage last season, PSG were 20 points clear at the summit having scored 50 goals. Fast forward twelve months and Emery’s side sit third – twelve points and eleven goals worse off.

In comparison, Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco are taking Ligue 1 by storm with their goal scoring exploits. Spearheaded by a rejuvenated Radamel Falcao, the French Riviera side are averaging three goals a game and are showing no signs of slowing down.

Unlike their rivals from the capital, Monaco are twelve points better off than at this stage last season and have found the back of the net a whopping 33 more times.

Elsewhere, Nice, led by former Borussia Monchengladbach manager Lucien Favre, have amassed 15 points more than at this time last year but have scored only one goal more. Les Aiglons, in contention to secure their first league title since 1959, have the meanest defence in Ligue 1 with just 13 goals conceded and seven clean sheets.

Defensive stability is a huge part of Favre’s philosophy – as demonstrated by his accomplishments at Monchengladbach. The Swiss coach took Die Fohlen from mid-table mediocrity to Champions League qualification with the second best defensive record in the division (naturally, behind Bayern Munich) in the 2013/14 season.

Interestingly, out of Ligue 1’s top three teams no manager has won a major European league title. Emery is certainly the most decorated coach having claimed three consecutive Europa League crowns at Sevilla, while Venezuelan Jardim has a Greek Superleague title with Olympiacos to his name.

Monaco will be hoping to improve on their two successive third place finishes in Ligue 1 by winning their first title since the turn of the millennium, when they finished seven points clear of PSG. Managed at the time by Claude Puel, Les Rouges et Blancs had a wealth of talent at their disposal including Fabian Barthez, David Trezeguet, Willy Sagnol, Ludovic Giuly, John Arne Riise and Rafael Marquez.

The battle will intensify as the season hots up over the coming weeks, but which side will hold their nerve to be crowned champions in May?