After a setback against Lorient last week, Lens responded with purpose. They struck early when a quick throw-in caught Angers off guard, allowing Saud Abdulhamid to flick the ball on for Thauvin, who finished sharply from close range.

Lens kept the pressure on, and although Odsonne Edouard initially missed a clear chance, he made amends moments later. Thauvin capitalised on a loose pass and delivered a precise assist, with Edouard showing composure to beat his marker and lift the ball over the goalkeeper. It marked yet another first-half goal in what has been a remarkably consistent scoring season.

The hosts remained in control, and Mamadou Sangare added a third with a powerful long-range strike after Angers had briefly threatened through Amine Sbai.

Just after the break, Thauvin was at it again, threading a clever pass through for Edouard, who calmly finished to make it four and effectively end the contest.

Angers did pull one back through Lanroy Machine, who turned in a low cross from Lilian Raolisoa, but the response from Lens was emphatic.

The standout moment came late on when Matthieu Udol produced a superb acrobatic volley from Abdallah Sima's cross to complete the scoring.

Speaking after the match, Lens boss Pierre Sage praised his side's response: "We reacted well after last week. The players showed intensity and quality. When we play like this, we are very difficult to stop."

Lens are now dreaming of a first league title since 1998, with their strong home form proving decisive. They sit two points clear of Paris Saint-Germain, albeit having played more matches.

However, Sage was firm when asked about a possible postponement of their upcoming clash with PSG due to the Paris side's Champions League schedule against Liverpool FC.

"We are not in favour of it," he said. "We had to manage a tight schedule ourselves earlier in the season, and we dealt with it. They are a strong club used to competing on multiple fronts. We should not have to adjust."

Meanwhile, Angers' struggles continued, with no wins against top-eight sides this season leaving them stuck in mid-table after another heavy defeat.

Emerse Fae still in dreamland after AFCON victory