After a string of frustrating draws, Sébastien Pocognoli finally celebrated his first victory as AS Monaco manager, guiding his side to a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Toulouse at the Stade Louis II on Saturday night.
Monaco had endured four consecutive stalemates, two under former coach Adi Hütter and two more since Pocognoli’s appointment, but optimism was high ahead of Toulouse’s visit.
Even Tottenham boss Thomas Frank admitted the Monégasques deserved more than a point from their spirited midweek draw in Europe, fuelling belief that a breakthrough was near.
That long-awaited win arrived courtesy of Mohammed Salisu, who struck early in the first half. Latching onto Kassoum Outtara’s pinpoint delivery, the Ghanaian defender guided the ball into the far corner to continue his resurgence.
Fresh from scoring on international duty and shining against Spurs, Salisu capped off a fine fortnight with another commanding display.
Restes the wall for Toulouse
Monaco nearly doubled their lead moments later, but young goalkeeper Guillaume Restes stood tall, racing off his line to deny the hosts.
He went on to frustrate Folarin Balogun before the break and watched Ansu Fati fire wide from the rebound.
Pocognoli, who had seen his team denied by outstanding goalkeeping against Tottenham, must have feared déjà vu as Restes continued his heroics.
While Toulouse rarely troubled Philipp Köhn at the other end, their set-pieces and long throws caused moments of anxiety for the Monaco defence.
In the second half, substitute George Ilenikhena tried to lob Restes but failed to get his effort right, while another replacement, Pape Cabral, came closest to sealing the win.
His initial shot was brilliantly saved, and though he pounced on the rebound, his second effort struck the post — much to the crowd’s disbelief.
Relief and resurgence in the Principality
Despite a tense finish, Monaco held firm to claim their first Ligue 1 win since September 21.
“It’s a good feeling after five games without victory, a goal and a clean sheet, I’m very happy,” said match-winner Salisu.
Under Hütter, Monaco often ground out results without convincing performances. Under Pocognoli, it had been the reverse, strong displays without the reward. Against Toulouse, however, the balance finally clicked: performance met result.
The victory lifted Monaco provisionally back into the Ligue 1 top three and, more importantly, restored belief that the season’s ambitions remain intact.
CEO Thiago Scuro had promised that the club’s goals were “under control,” and with Pocognoli tightening the defence and instilling renewed confidence, Monaco look ready to climb again.
