Brentford take on Newcastle United in the EFL Cup quarter-finals this week (you can watch all the action at Biggest+ And CBS Sports Network) and it gives the Bees a rare chance at potential silverware if they can reach the last four. Few would begrudge Thomas Frank that kind of success, given the impressive work the Danish tactician has done at the London club since 2018.
However, if Brentford are to continue dreaming of a path to European qualification via at least one domestic cup, their key men will need to be at their best. Two of those star names are French-born Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, who are establishing themselves in the English Premier League despite not being widely known in their home country.
Mbeumo is now an international for Cameroon, while Wissa represents DR Congo and the duo are by far the Bees’ two best goalscorers this season. With a total of 19 goals and three assists for 22 goals, that affects all but 10 of their team’s EPL goals, who have scored 32 goals so far this season.
Mbeumo is arguably their main man with ten goals and two assists in all competitions, although all have come in the Premier League. The 25-year-old joined from Troyes in 2019 and was part of the Brentford team that won promotion from the EFL Championship in 2021 and has already reached the 200 appearance and 50 goal mark.
However, Wissa is not far behind with nine goals and one assist in all competitions, although all of those have also come in the EPL, like Mbeumo’s. As for the 28-year-old, he joined from Lorient in 2021 when promoted to the English top flight and has already surpassed both 100 appearances and 30 goals.
Both Mbeumo and Wissa are key to the Bees’ attacking repertoire under Frank and that includes the team’s trademark extremely early opening goals, which made Premier League history earlier this season. The West Londoners have remarkably scored inside the first 40 seconds in three successive top-flight matches, with Mbeumo scoring two and Wissa the other.
It was the latter who struck after 22 seconds against Manchester City on September 14, before the former scored after 23 seconds against Tottenham Hotspur and 37 seconds against West Ham United. The achievement made Brentford the first team in Premier League history to score within the opening minute in three consecutive matches, with only Everton doing so in several matches in 1998–99.
High-scoring home games have also been a key feature of this season for Frank’s troops, with forty goals already scored in eight games at the Gtech Community Stadium, which is an average of around five goals per game in the Premier League so far. The Bees could easily better their highest average of goals per game in a season, which was Chelsea’s average of 82 goals of 4.3 at Stamford Bridge in 2009/10 under Carlo Ancelotti.
How far can Brentford go? Currently they are eleventh in the EPL and just out of reach of the European places. The EFL Cup could be their best route to continental football next season. There may still be hope in the FA Cup from January, but it will take a series of strong performances to reach the quarter-finals, where Frank’s men are currently in the League Cup.
A win over Newcastle at St James’ Park would take the Bees into the last four and at that stage could link Arsenal, Liverpool and one of Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United and give the west London side a viable route to Wembley Being able to provide a stadium. Given Frank’s incredible work with the team thanks to signings like Mbeumo and Wissa, the highlight of their chapter together could well be written in the EFL Cup.