The reasons for that are obvious.
Despite only being founded in 1970, and having spent 53 seasons in the French top flight, they have won the most Ligue 1 titles, their 13th and most recent coming last season. Indeed, of those 13, 11 of them have come in the past 13 seasons.
It's only become something of a cakewalk for the Parisiens since they were taken over by Qatar Sports Investments, and, even though they've been run close a few times, when speaking about French football more generally nowadays, it's normally concerning who'll finish second.
That's what makes the current season so interesting for Luis Enrique and his European & 'World' Champions, after PSG conquered the Champions League for the first time last season and followed it up with an Intercontinental Cup win over Flamengo.
At present, they are sitting in second place behind a resurgent Lens side.
Lens are Ligue 1's surprise package
Les Sang et Or, as Lens are often known, have been in the top division for 64 seasons themselves, and yet have only lifted the French championship once, back in 1997/98. Even then, it was only on goal difference from Metz, with both clubs finishing on 68 points.
Lens have finished as runners-up on a further five occasions, and this season under Pierre Sage, a manager who has expressed a clear preference to manage in England, they are flying.
17 games played, 13 wins, one draw and three losses. Their 31 goals scored is the least of the top three teams, but 13 goals conceded is the best defensive record in the division.
They are just a point ahead of PSG at this stage, but eight ahead of everyone else, including a Marseille side under Roberto De Zerbi that have won huge plaudits themselves this season.
Record breakers
Though it might still be just a little too early to suggest that the destination of this season's Ligue 1 title has become a two-horse race, it's still worth delving into how interesting Lens have made things for the neutral this season.
In terms of current form, their recent win over Toulouse was their eighth in a row in all competitions, breaking the club's all-time record (seven), which had been achieved between March and April 1998 and also between April and June 2023.
Ex Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard has certainly found a team to bring out the best in him. His seven goals in 14 Ligue 1 games this season is his best output since scoring 18 for Celtic in 31 games back in 2020/21.
Only Marseille's Mason Greenwood (11), Strasbourg's Joaquin Panichelli (10), Rennes' Esteban Lepaul (nine) and Lyon's Pavel Sulc (eight) have scored more than him this season.
It's abundantly clear that Lens are playing to his strengths and, at 27, Eduoard may just be playing himself into peak form at precisely the right time.
Sangare a standout player
Goals win games of course, but Lens' excellence in other areas has been the major feature of their recent successes.
Given that theirs is not a possession-based game - 47.8% on average is only the 10th highest in the league - Sage has relied upon the power of Mamadou Sangare and others to get Lens up the pitch and breaking at pace.
It's the ability to spring quickly from defence into attack that has largely left opponents floundering this season, whilst Sangare's 106 ball recoveries are only bettered by the 109 made by teammate Adrien Thomasson.
Importantly, possession has been gained by the player in all areas of the pitch, indicating his willingness to supplement both the defence and attack.
Indeed, 50 tackles made by Sangare is the best in Ligue 1 this season, and his 31 tackles won are the most for his team (Thomasson's 25 places him second in this regard).
Thomasson's five assists also indicate his own contributions to Lens' attacks, and places him level with teammate Mathieu Udol. To give some context, PSG's much-vaunted Portuguese midfielder Vitinha only has six in 25/26 with PSG.
Can Lens keep pace in the title run-in?
Ultimately, Lens' title challenge is going to rest on a mixture of their January transfer business, injuries and the ability of the squad to keep up the pace that they've set in the first half of the campaign.
Given that Sage brought in 14 players in the summer, it's highly unlikely that there'll be too much in the way of incomings or outgoings at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
PSG are bound to come on strong in the latter stages, as has become customary, but if Lens can remain on their coat-tails at the very least, the latter's lack of European football could be a real bonus if PSG's European travails weigh very heavily on them.
