Florian Thauvin 'not getting carried away' as he fires Lens top

You could certainly forgive Florian Thauvin for getting a little carried away. On an individual level, and on a collective level with RC Lens, he is exceeding all expectations. But he remained level-headed after his brace sent Les Sang et Or top of Ligue 1 McDonald's.

Six goal contributions and a France call-up

"Initially", Thauvin wasn't even expected to return to Ligue 1 McDonald's, he revealed back in October. "I was going to stay in Italy and sign for Fiorentina," said the Frenchman. But he will be glad that he did return to L'Héxagone.

His is one of the success stories of the Ligue 1 McDonald's season. Since joining from Udinese, he has six goal contributions to his name, including his two goals against Angers over the weekend.

Not only that, his performances saw him make an unlikely return to the France set-up earlier this season, following a six-year absence. He marked his return in style, netting with just his third touch against Azerbaijan back in October.

He was part of Les Bleus' squad in November, too, once again coming off the bench against Azerbaijan. Upon his return to the club set-up, he has continued to excel in the Red and Gold of Lens.

Thauvin's brace 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MeUE69UKwA
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) November 30, 2025

His two goals on Sunday took Lens top. Celebrating one of his goals, he showed his solidarity with injured team-mate Jonathan Gradit, raising the defender's shirt and then revealing the extent to which he was affected by his incident, which came in a training session last week.

"It prevented me from sleeping. I was sick from it," he told Ligue 1 Plus post-match. In his post-match media duties, he also spoke about Lens' excellent season. With PSG and Marseille dropping points this weekend, the Artois side sit atop the tree.

But Thauvin isn't getting too carried away. "It's good to be top. It is nice, but it doesn't mean anything," said the former OM playmaker. "There are so many games left. We will see what happens in the future."

Lens retain humble ambitions

He then revealed the strength of this Lens side. "There are sensitive guys, generous guys; there is a lot of humility in this squad. It is a family. These are the values that make us leaders, that, combined with each individual's personal qualities."

He continued, "We've had these ambitions for a while. What is new today is being top of the league. But it is way too early to get carried away. Will we be able to compete with PSG? We'll see."

Like Thauvin, Pierre Sage is humble and not looking too far ahead. He still speaks of reaching the 35-point mark, likely synonymous with safety in Ligue 1 McDonald's, and he even once again referenced these ambitions following the win over Angers. Lens and Thauvin are a quiet force, but not one to be underestimated.

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