Mbeumo and Wissa’s “Unplayable” Form Fuels Brentford’s Success

Brentford manager Thomas Frank characterized Bryan Mbeumo’s display as “unplayable” following the team’s 4-2 Premier League victory against Newcastle on Saturday, an assessment that was difficult to dispute. Mbeumo, playing as a striker, dominated the visiting defense, contributing to Brentford’s maintenance of the division’s leading home record and elevating the club to sixth position by the end of the match. Mbeumo initiated the scoring by cutting in from the right flank and executing a left-footed finish, and he later provided an assist for the final goal with an astute pass to Kevin Schade, who chipped the ball over the advancing Nick Pope. However, Mbeumo’s efforts were complemented by his attacking partner, Yoane Wissa. The dynamic between the two suggests that if one player doesn’t pose a threat, the other will, making Brentford as a collective virtually “unplayable” when both are in form, as they were on this occasion. Wissa contributed what was considered the most impressive of the six goals at Gtech Community Stadium, putting Brentford ahead 2-1 in the 28th minute. He seized upon a misplaced pass from Harvey Barnes, progressed against a hesitant Newcastle defense, and curled a shot past Pope from 20 yards out. Although summer acquisition Igor Thiago made his anticipated first start for Brentford as a central striker after recovering from a knee injury, it was his supporting forwards who garnered the most attention. Frank expressed extensive commendation for both players during his conversation with BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker. He stated, “Wissa is great, the way he links up and goes forward, and gets in behind the back line for tap-ins.” Frank added, “And Bryan Mbeumo today was unplayable. The way he holds the ball up and links play, like today to Kevin Schade [for the fourth goal] was very impressive.” Yoane Wissa secured Brentford’s 2-1 lead during their engaging Premier League victory against Newcastle on Saturday. Brentford currently shares the distinction of being the Premier League’s joint top scorers this season, having accumulated 31 goals, matching Chelsea’s total. Mbeumo and Wissa have contributed 21 of these goals. Commencing from the 2021-22 season, Mbeumo and Wissa have both scored in 15 Premier League fixtures for Brentford, representing the highest such tally for any duo playing for a single club in the competition. This duo is significantly responsible for Brentford’s league-leading home performance. No other English top-flight team has managed to accumulate the 22 points that the Bees have secured from their eight matches at the Gtech Community Stadium during the 2024-25 season. Eight of Mbeumo’s nine Premier League goals for Brentford this season have been scored at home; concurrently, Wissa has netted nine goals across their last seven home league fixtures. Wissa has now accumulated 19 goals at the Gtech Community Stadium in the Premier League, an identical total to Ivan Toney. The consistent form of the duo indicates that Brentford has not experienced a significant void since Toney’s transfer to Saudi Arabia in the summer. Rather, the team’s reduced dependence on a single central striker appears to have transformed them into a more potent attacking force. Thiago’s return to full fitness provides Brentford with notable attacking depth, though Frank must exercise caution to avoid disrupting the successful system currently in place. The liberty from consistently feeding Toney has facilitated Mbeumo’s development. His nine goals this campaign mean he has already matched his personal best tally for a Premier League season, and this achievement comes before Christmas. The pertinent question now is the extent to which Mbeumo and Wissa, supported by their teammates, can propel Brentford this season, and to what position in the standings. The team has not previously accumulated as many as 23 points after 15 Premier League matches. Mbeumo and Wissa appear to share a positive rapport, having taken a selfie together following their 4-3 victory over Ipswich in October. Nevertheless, Frank maintains a cautious outlook. He referenced the previous season, when Brentford had secured 19 points after 15 matches and were comfortably positioned in 11th place. However, a subsequent sequence of 11 defeats in their following 14 games led them into relegation contention. This challenging period prompted Frank to re-evaluate and adjust his team’s attacking strategy, yielding clear positive outcomes. Frank stated, “We started well last season for 11 or 12 games, then injuries hit us hard. So we have tried to add layers, be more controlled and make more breakthroughs, playing more forward. We have showed we have a lot of good offensive players.” Consequently, Brentford has achieved five consecutive home league victories, a milestone not reached since February 2021 in the Championship, and their first such accomplishment in the top flight since 1936. Nonetheless, certain weaknesses persist and require attention, particularly in defense. Both of Mbeumo’s and Wissa’s goals were followed by Newcastle equalizers just four minutes later. Brentford has now both scored and conceded a minimum of two goals in the first half of three distinct Premier League matches this season, a frequency exceeded only by Newcastle in the 1994-95 season. Frank also conceded that his team performs with considerably less potency when playing away from west London. In seven away fixtures, they have secured only a single point, derived from a goalless draw against Everton. He conveyed to Lineker, “I would like to carry on this home form – some wins on the road would be welcome too.” For the present, Brentford supporters will persist in envisioning a sustained effort towards their inaugural European campaign. Should Mbeumo and Wissa maintain the “unplayable” form demonstrated against Newcastle, this aspiration could materialize beyond a mere dream.