Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo's exceptional penalty-taking ability has reached such heights that his teammates now celebrate before he even takes the shot. This remarkable display of confidence was evident during their recent 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park, where forward Yoane Wissa raised his arms in celebration and began running toward the fans before Mbeumo had started his run-up.
The Cameroon international maintained his perfect penalty record in the Premier League, though not without some drama. His initial attempt hit the inside of the post, but fortune favored him as VAR detected Palace's Marc Guehi entering the penalty area prematurely, resulting in a retake. Mbeumo made no mistake with his second attempt, employing a distinctive jumping run-up and waiting for goalkeeper Dean Henderson to commit before scoring.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank was effusive in his praise, declaring Mbeumo the Premier League's finest penalty taker. "We had the [best] before [in Ivan Toney] and now we have a second one," Frank stated, highlighting Mbeumo's "very, very good mentality, composure and focus." The manager emphasized how Mbeumo's success stems from trusting his process and strategy, maintaining consistency in his approach to each penalty.
The statistics support Frank's assessment. Since December 2021, Mbeumo has converted all 10 of his penalties in English football competitions. In Premier League history, only Cole Palmer, Raul Jimenez, and Yaya Toure have taken more penalties than Mbeumo's nine without failing to score. This record is particularly impressive considering he has taken over from Ivan Toney, who scored 11 Premier League penalties but missed his penultimate attempt for the Bees.
Teammate Nathan Collins expressed unwavering faith in Mbeumo's abilities, stating, "Never doubt Bryan. We are all so confident in him and he's confident in himself. To do that on your second one, it's unreal." When questioned about Wissa's premature celebration, Mbeumo attributed it to their strong relationship both on and off the pitch, saying, "If one of us scores, then we are really happy for the other."
The striker revealed that his successful penalty-taking formula comes down to mental focus. "It's all mental at this point," he explained to Sky Sports. "I know I work a lot and I just needed to do the business."
