The curtain has closed on one of the most extraordinary Ligue 1 seasons of recent memory, with twists and turns being thrown up at both ends of the table until the final whistle blew in gameweek 38.
Paris Saint-Germain's perennial reign of dominance in the top flight was brought to an end as Lille finished at the top of the pile - a fitting end to Christophe Galtier's time in the dugout - and PSG were forced to make do with an unfamiliar second-placed finish.
Monaco pipped Lyon to the third and final Champions League spot, but Les Gones have returned to the continental stage with qualification for the Europa League, and they will be joined by fifth-placed Marseille following their revival under Jorge Sampaoli.
Rennes's resurgence under Bruno Genesio saw them claim sixth and a place in the inaugural Conference League, with newly-promoted Lens just missing out on a spot in Europe following an otherwise remarkable campaign.
At the other end of the table, Dijon and Nimes' fates were sealed before the final day, and Nantes will battle with Toulouse for the right to remain in Ligue 1 after they finished in the relegation playoff place.
With a number of spectacular individual showings throughout the season, Sports Mole whittles the best performers down to an 11-man Team of the Season, with some honourable mentions along the way.
Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan
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Despite controversially losing out to Keylor Navas in the vote for the league's best goalkeeper, Mike Maignan has claimed the ultimate prize in the form of a Ligue 1 winners' medal, and his performances have certainly warranted a title triumph.
The 25-year-old kept a staggering 21 clean sheets in 38 appearances and was the last line of a Lille defence which shipped just 23 league goals all season - a testament to the tireless work of Galtier's rearguard during their glorious campaign.
It comes as no surprise to see Maignan being linked with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, but the chance to represent Lille in the Champions League is surely too good to ignore.
Honourable mentions: Keylor Navas (PSG), Benjamin Lecomte (Monaco), Benoit Costil (Bordeaux)
Right-back: Zeki Celik
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Another staple of Lille's often impenetrable backline, Zeki Celik is one member of Lille's trio of Turkish delights and has been another standout performer for the champions this term.
With three goals and three assists to his name in league action, as well as 2.5 tackles per game, Celik has proved his prowess at both ends of the pitch throughout the season, and the 24-year-old is only just getting started.
Honourable mentions: Junior Sambia (Montpellier HSC), Jonathan Clauss (Lens), Fabien Centonze (Metz)
Centre-backs: Jose Fonte, Marquinhos
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Written off by many as he approaches his twilight years, Jose Fonte is a real-life example of the phrase 'age is just a number', as the 37-year-old was a near ever-present in the Lille backline and contributed three goals too.
Fonte was forced to take his seat on the naughty step for the final day of the season as he missed out against Angers due to suspension, but jubilant scenes followed for a man who ended the season with a pass success race of 90.4%.
Alongside the Lille man is PSG leader Marquinhos, who was unable to inspire his side to a title triumph after filling the void left by his mentor Thiago Silva, but the centre-back also chipped in with a trio of league goals and stepped up admirably after being handed the captain's armband.
Marquinhos can better Fonte's passing accuracy with a success rate of 93%, and it would be a surprise not to see the 27-year-old follow in Silva's footsteps and lead PSG to the familiar sights of silverware in the coming years.
Honourable mentions: Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Sven Botman (Lille), Guillermo Maripan (Monaco), Hilton (Montpellier), Kiki Kouyate (Metz)
Left-back: Caio Henrique
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Having failed to make it during his ill-fated stint as an Atletico Madrid player, Caio Henrique's first season with Monaco has been overwhelmingly successful, as the 23-year-old bagged five assists to help his side to a third-placed finish.
Henrique initially struggled to displace Fode Ballo-Toure on the left-hand side of Monaco's back three, but the Brazilian was a consistent performer in his side's terrific 2021, starting all of their last 13 Ligue 1 games during which time they kept 10 clean sheets.
Honourable mentions: Reinildo (Lille), Thomas Delaine (Metz), Massadio Haidara (Lens)
Right midfield: Aleksandr Golovin
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Despite only showing his prowess for the second half of the campaign, the injury-plagued Aleksandr Golovin cannot be overlooked for a spot in our team given his remarkable contributions in the final third, with the Russian attacker claiming five goals and nine assists from 21 league appearances.
Golovin spent four months on the sidelines with a troublesome hamstring injury between September and December, but during his comeback game against Lorient, he took just 10 seconds to curl the ball into the far corner after coming on as a substitute.
The 24-year-old's hot streak did not slow down in the spring as he scored three and set up another during a season-defining 4-3 win over Nimes, and Monaco would not be in the Champions League without him and his 1.7 key passes per game.
Honourable mentions: Zinedine Ferhat (Nimes), Tino Kadewere (Lyon), Gaetan Laborde (Montpellier)
Central midfield: Benjamin Andre, Teji Savanier
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Lille's midfield general Benjamin Andre typifies consistency and is a worthy recipient of a Ligue 1 winners' medal, as the 30-year-old started 35 of their 38 Ligue 1 games this season and donned the captain's armband with pride during the final day.
Despite claiming just one assist and no goals this season, Andre ranks third in the successful tackles list with 114 throughout the campaign - as well as 76 interceptions - and only eight players in the league made more passes than the Frenchman's 2,019.
Providing some attacking impetus to the midfield is Montpellier HSC's Teji Savanier, who was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid to lead his club into Europe, but five goals and five assists from 27 league outings is a respectable contribution nonetheless.
Lyon's Houssem Aouar is the only midfielder to have attempted more shots per game than Savanier this term, and the Montpellier man ranks in the top 10 for key passes with 63 to his name.
Honourable mentions: Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco), Ludovic Blas (Nantes), Seko Fofana (Lens), Lucas Paqueta (Lyon), Gael Kakuta (Lens)
Left midfield: Memphis Depay
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Having seemingly played his final game in Lyon colours, Memphis Depay has ended his Gones stint with a season to remember, as the Dutchman scored 20 goals and assisted a league-high 12 more in 37 league appearances.
Depay's efforts to steer Lyon to the title and a spot in the Champions League proved futile, but no player made more key passes than the 27-year-old (94) this season, and he also attempted 76 successful dribbles.
Whichever team snaps up the soon-to-be free agent for nothing this summer will instantly have an added dimension to their attack, but the player has admitted himself that he is unsure of his next career move, despite persistent links with Barcelona.
Honourable mentions: Dimitri Payet (Marseille), Amine Gouiri (Nice), Jonathan Bamba (Lille)
Strikers: Kylian Mbappe, Burak Yilmaz
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A plethora of attackers staked their claims for spots in the 2020-21 Team of the Season, and choosing just two of them to lead the line was the most difficult selection of this team, but Kylian Mbappe simply had to be involved.
The World Cup-winning Frenchman scooped his third consecutive Golden Boot with 27 strikes in 31 league appearances - as well as seven assists - and he also ranks third on the list for successful dribbles with 90, only behind Ludovic Blas (94) and Jeremy Doku (110).
With his future yet to be resolved, PSG would do well to convince Mbappe that they will be capable of challenging for the biggest honours next term, as Coupe de France wins will not keep the 22-year-old happy forever.
Alongside Mbappe is the veteran Burak Yilmaz, who is showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 35 and produced a number of match-winning performances to propel Lille to title glory.
The Turkish talisman's man of the match performance in April's 3-2 win over Lyon - during which he bagged a brace and assisted the other - was worthy of winning any tournament, and he formed a prolific partnership with Jonathan David throughout the season.
Yilmaz ends the 2020-21 campaign with 16 goals and five assists to his name from 28 appearances, and a return to the Champions League is no less than he deserves.
Honourable mentions: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Kevin Volland (Monaco), Andy Delort (Montpellier), Boulaye Dia (Reims), Ludovic Ajorque (Strasbourg)
Ben Knapton
