Who Is Bryan Mbeumo?
Newly-promoted Brentford have got off to a strong start in the Premier League, taking eight points from their first five games.
Whilst Ivan Toney, Rico Henry, Pontus Jansson, and the new Celtic signing Kristoffer Ajer have rightly been receiving praise for their performances in England’s top division so far, Bryan Mbeumo is perhaps a name that has flown under the radar thus far.
Mbeumo, who only turned 22 last month, has been a permanent source of energy and flair in the Bees’ front line.
He has been with Brentford since the beginning of the 2019/20 season, signing for £5.8 million from French side Troyes.
His impact was immediate.
He notched 16 goals and made 7 assists in his debut Championship season, and last season he scored 8 goals and had 10 assists in the league, too.
While he has yet to grab an assist this season, he has started the campaign on good form, with one Premier League goal and one in the EFL Cup.
Given his impressive performances over the past two seasons, many sides across Europe will closely monitor how he adapts to life in the Premier League this season —and with good reason.
This tactical analysis and scout report will examine Mbeumo’s key attributes as a player and provide insight into how he fits into Thomas Frank tactics.
Bryan Mbeumo Style of Play & Movement
Bryan Mbeumo may line up as part of a front two, but that position is too restrictive for where he actually influences play.
Bryan Mbeumos style of play enjoys having the freedom to move away from the front line.
His heat map from last season illustrates his range of positioning throughout a game.
An example of this is shown in the image below from the Wolves game, where Mbeumo moves from a starting position in Brentford’s front line to present an option for the defence looking to play out.
Only three Brentford players are clearly deeper than him on the pitch as he receives.
Moving so deep from a high starting position, Mbeumo can evade tight marking and plays immediately to the wing off a one-touch pass.
The space left open in Brentford’s midfield allows him to not only drop into this space, but it also provides plenty of options for him as to where he may choose to drop.
He doesn’t forget his responsibilities further up the pitch, though.
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