Lille’s Code d’Ivoire star Gervinho (in the foreground) produced a dazzling performance in the win against Olympique Lyon to almost close the gap with the leader in the FTBL ranking of forwards in the French Ligue 1, AJ Auxerre’s Poland international Ireneusz Jelen. But can Gervinho actually make it all the way to the top?

We believe the Cote d’Ivoire international will find the last push extremely hard, if not impossible. Despite the fact that he now trails his rival by just 2.24 rating points, it is worth remembering that he will face a daunting plank of approximately 27 rating points to beat in his next game, which means Lille, who are 11th in the tables at the moment, will have to win against No. 9 AS Monaco, and Gervinho score at least a goal.

Gervinho could be helped if Auxerre trip at FC Lorient, even though it remains unclear whether Jelen will play in that match. If the Pole sits out the game, that will remove almost any chance of Gervinho capturing the top spot.