Unsung hero: Bryan Mbeumo has been crucial to Brentford’s shock European push
(Picture: Getty Images)Brentford continue to fly under the radar and one unsung hero has been at the heart of their unlikely push for Europe.
Bryan Mbeumo assisted their first, scored their second and was involved in their third as the Bees comprehensively beat Southampton to go seventh in the Premier League on Saturday.
It was a complete display from the 23-year-old attacker and the latest in a long line of outstanding performances. Only talismanic striker Ivan Toney can claim to have been more instrumental for Brentford in their stealthy progression up the table.
Next up for the west Londoners is a trip to Arsenal and, after their defeat at Everton, the Gunners could be in for another difficult afternoon with Mbeumo and Toney on song. They say you can’t be all things to all people, yet Mbeumo is most things for Brentford.
By trade he is a forward, scoring prolifically as a teenage prodigy for French side Troyes before notching 15 goals in the Championship in his first season at Brentford in 2019-20. But he tends to play out wide, exhibiting pace, strength and creativity.
The total cost of the Brentford squad is not too much more than the £106.8million that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez. The Bees, along with Brighton, can perhaps claim to be the best-run club in the Premier League and Mbeumo epitomises a transfer strategy that tries to get the club maximum bang for their buck to help punch above their weight.
Mbeumo joined for just £5.8m in 2019 and has 37 goals and 30 assists in 156 matches. He registered eight Premier League goals last season and has five goals and two assists this term, and yet it is often Toney who is picked out for plaudits.
Rico Henry, Yoane Wissa and others also deserve immense credit, but Mbeumo has been the club’s most consistent player besides Toney, and his all-action style was there for all to see as Southampton were swatted aside.
Mbeumo is blessed with superb stamina to complement his bullish and dogged attacking approach. He was making positive off-the-ball runs into the right channel early on in the game, and then tracking back to help with the defensive work.
He twisted Ibrahima Diallo inside out before crossing for Ben Mee to head home the opener. Then, barely two minutes later, he showed good anticipation to score from Wissa’s cross.
In the 80th minute, Mbeumo was still impacting play. The way he shielded the ball from James Ward-Prowse and outmuscled the Southampton captain showed savviness and strength and made Brentford’s third goal possible. He was unplayable all afternoon.
Mbeumo epitomises a transfer strategy that tries to get Brenford maximum bang for their buck to help punch above their weight
Last year, Samuel Eto’o met French-born Mbeumo and convinced him to play for Cameroon, the nation of his father. At the World Cup in Qatar, he started all three of their matches.
Not 24 until August, there are still new heights Mbeumo can reach - and playing for Thomas Frank may just give him the best chance of maximising his potential.
“Bryan, how good was he today? Immense,” Frank said after the Southampton win.
Then asked about the possibility of Brentford challenging for Europe, Frank said: “I am a dreamer.”
If the Brentford manager wants that dream to become a reality, Mbeumo will be central to his plans.
