Lyon coach Claude Puel has praised the performance of Lille, the club he managed for six years, and believes it will be a struggle for anyone to knock them off the top of Ligue 1.

Puel, who became the first man to lead Lyon to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season, has watched his former team build up a four-point lead at the top of the table and he was full of praise for Lille.

"They have everything," he told L'Equipe. "They have a quality workforce, with players who have played together for a long time. They really have a thirst for recognition."

This is a championship so complicated, each day is important. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season.
Claude Puel, Lyon coach

Lille's ability to earn points even when not playing well, often regarded as a vital component to title-winning teams, was also praised by Puel.

"Even when they do not play very well, they have a favourable referee decision or come to score goals in stoppage time. They have good momentum - and there is a trio of extraordinary attackers," he said.

But with Marseille, Rennes and, according to Puel, Paris Saint-Germain still in contention along with his Lyon team, he believes it is not a foregone conclusion that his former employers will win their third Ligue 1 crown.

"Even Paris, which appears behind, has not said its last word. This is a championship so complicated, each day is important. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season," he said.