Lyon have 68 points from 34 games, leading Paris St Germain, who thrashed Lille 6-1 on Saturday, on goal difference although the champions have a game in hand.
Lyon went ahead after two minutes when Corentin Tolisso headed home at the far post from Clement Grenier's corner.
Ligue 1's top scorer Alexandre Lacazette took his tally to 26 four minutes later with a superb volley from Clinton Njie's cross.
In a hectic start to the game, Reims reduced the arrears in the 13th minute when Alexi Peuget's 18-metre strike took a slight deflection off Maxime Gonalons to beat Anthony Lopes.
Lyon reclaimed a two-goal lead when Njie latched on to Henri Bedimo's cross to whip the ball past Kossi Agassa.
Mickael Talcafred scored an own goal to gift Lyon a fourth in the 90th minute just before Gaetan Charbonnier netted Reims's second by heading home from a corner in stoppage time.
Monaco are third in the table, six points off the pace, following their comprehensive 3-0 win at bottom club RC Lens.
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Anthony Martial and Bernardo Silva found the back of the net in a one-sided game which left Lens virtually relegated with 26 points, 12 from safety with four games left.
St Etienne kept their Champions League hopes alive after Max Gradel's first-half strike secured a 1-0 home win over Montpellier.
Les Verts are fourth in the standings, two points behind Monaco and three ahead of Marseille whose slump in form continued with a 5-3 home defeat by Lorient on Friday.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)
Share
