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Thomas Frank turned to the evidence in his case for the defence of Brentford’s attack. When it was put to him that his side might be lacking cutting edge without the suspended Ivan Toney, he answered with facts.
‘We scored eight goals in four games — that’s pretty good,’ replied Frank, more curtly than usual. ‘We’re up there in the league for goals, so I wouldn’t say that.’
He had a point. Brentford’s tally of eight goals is the joint-sixth highest in the top flight, and they added two more in Saturday’s pulsating home draw with Bournemouth.
And even though Mbeumo atoned with a stoppage-time equaliser, after Dominic Solanke and David Brooks had hit back for Bournemouth following Mathias Jensen’s opener, this was a second home game in a row where two points were needlessly dropped.
Bryan Mbeumo secured a point for Brentford with an injury time equaliser against Bournemouth on Saturday
Thomas Frank’s side remain unbeaten but have dropped points wastefully in their last two games
Brentford have had a decent start to the season, no question. They are still unbeaten. But you get the feeling that if Toney were in the mix, they may have 12 points from 12, rather than six.
Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade are all fine players — but backing singers in a band missing its front man.
Frank turned to former Bee Neal Maupay on deadline day in a bid to ease the burden. ‘Neal knows me, he knows the club,’ Frank said. ‘We know him, the club knows him.’
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But while Maupay might know his way around Brentford’s training ground, he hasn’t looked like a man who knows where the back of the net is for some time. Another pesky fact — the Frenchman has one goal in his last 40 league games.
They could do with him rediscovering the form of his prolific first spell if they are to turn a promising start into something special.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are still winless in the league under new manager Andoni Iraola. ‘We were so close to three points,’ said the Spaniard. ‘To lose them the way we did hurts.’
They are a band without a front man in the absence of suspended striker Ivan Toney
