The 2022/23 was a season to remember for Brentford and those at the Gtech Community Stadium as they secured their highest finish in the Premier League era.
After finishing ninth in the table, expectations were normal to rise this season. The Bees haven’t been at their sparkling best in the opening weeks of the 2023/24 campaign, winning once and drawing three as a result.
With the international break now underway, it is perhaps the best time for Thomas Frank to reflect on how his team have fared in the early weeks of the new campaign. With that being said, here are three things to take note of from Brighton so far.
- Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are key for Brentford
Two players who have stood out for Brentford this season thus far are Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.
Mbeumo, by far, has been the best player, scoring four goals in as many Premier League appearances. The Cameroon international scored in back-to-back games against Spurs and Fulham but fired a blank against Crystal Palace. However, when Brentford were losing 2-1 to Bournemouth at the weekend, he came up with the vital equaliser at the death.
Like Mbeumo, Wissa has started every single league game this term. In Ivan Toney’s suspension, he has led the attack well and scored two important goals. The DR Congo international is a busy player with good technique and clever movement in and around the box.
Across the four games, both Mbeumo and Wissa have demonstrated how crucial they are in Frank’s system, and without Toney’s goals for at least until the New Year, their form for the Bees will be massive.
- Keane Lewis-Potter is yet to show his worth
Keane Lewis-Potter was a fan favourite at Hull City, and after a rocky first season at Brentford, he’ll be looking to kick on this year.
The England under-21 international’s flair, creativity and natural goal-scoring ability marked him as one of the Championship’s most promising talents and led to Brentford signing him from Hull in the summer of 2022. However, he doesn’t quite look the part yet.
Lewis-Potter has been limited to appearances from the bench, amounting to just 48 minutes across three league games. When the wide forward has come on as a substitute in games, his performances haven’t been poor but he isn’t quite as sharp as he would perhaps like to be at this stage.
The 22-year-old’s development is certainly worth watching as Brentford aim to break into the top six this season, with Lewis-Potter being a part of that long-term project. Without Toney this season, Lewis-Potter could benefit from more involvement and minutes in attack. The reality is, though, it could well take some time for him to fully adapt to the Premier League.
- Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins are indispensable to Brentford’s defensive set-up
Thomas Frank’s philosophy at Brentford has been built on a rock-solid defence which then lays the foundation for the counter-attacking brand of football that he endorses. Now, at the beginning of the ongoing season, the Dane has juggled with 3-5-2/4-3-3 set-ups, using Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins as his defensive mainstays.
And the decision has certainly paid dividends for the Bees in the initial stages of their domestic campaign as they’ve looked compact and watertight at the back, conceding five goals in four games. Both Pinnock and Collins seem to have forged a good understanding at the back which is one of the main reasons why Frank’s side are among the six sides to stay unbeaten in the league.
