Lyon moved to the top of Ligue 1 after a 2-1 victory against Nice on Sunday, despite being reduced to ten men late in the match. The result marked Monaco’s first defeat of the season, allowing Lyon to leapfrog the previous leaders in the standings.

The match, played in Paris, saw Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi open the scoring for Nice in the 18th minute, netting his second goal of the campaign. Lyon responded swiftly with two goals within a three-minute span before halftime. Pavel Sulc equalized by converting a rebound, and Tanner Tessmann put Lyon ahead with a header.

Lyon’s Keito Nakamura was shown a red card 20 minutes before the final whistle for a high boot, leaving his team to defend their slim advantage. Despite being a man down, Lyon held firm against a determined Nice side. Wahi struck the post with a close-range header late in the game and was denied an injury-time equalizer by a marginal offside decision.

Lyon now tops the Ligue 1 table with 14 points, level on points with Paris Saint-Germain, Paris FC, Lille, and Monaco, but leading on goal difference. The victory sets the stage for a key fixture next weekend as Lyon prepares to face PSG.

Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca acknowledged the team’s position at the summit but emphasized the early nature of the season. “It’s good to be top but it’s not the most important thing,” Fonseca said. “Having 14 points is very positive. Of course, that gives us confidence and greater responsibilities, but at this stage of the season it changes nothing.”

Monaco, who had maintained an unbeaten record prior to this match, now trail the leaders as the league sees a tight battle unfold among several clubs in its early stages.