Brentford’s meteoric rise in the Championship this season has taken everyone by surprise.
While promises were shown last term, with team finishing 11th on the table, ten points behind sixth-placed Derby County, their place in the top six this season can hardly be disputed.
Thomas Frank’s side currently enjoy the second-best defensive record (33) in the league after Leeds United and jointly hold the record for most goals scored in the Championship (64) along with West Bromwich Albion.
A lot of credit for Brentford’s impressive attacking displays should to their trio of Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins, fondly called the BMW, who have scored as many as 46 Championship goals among themselves so far.
As the season resumes once again, following the unscheduled coronavirus-enforced break, the fans will hope to see the triad take off from where they had left and guide the Bees to the Premier League for the first time since the end of World War II.
So, who are these three players or BMW wreaking havoc in the Championship this season?
Said Benrahma
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has mostly stuck to a 4-3-3 formation this season, with 24-year-old Said Benrahma minding the left side of a three-way attack.
The Algerian has added to the scoresheet as many as 10 times in 34 Championship appearances and has also set up eight more goals for his team-mates.
He has been on the pitch for 2,764 minutes and each of his goals has taken approximately 276 minutes to arrive.
The 2019-20 campaign hasn’t been a one-off one for the former Nice man, as he showed signs of promise in his very first season, following his arrival in England in the summer of 2018.
He, in fact, notched up 10 goals and 15 assists in 38 league appearances last season.
Benrahma’s run of form hasn’t gone unnoticed, with teams in the Premier League showing interest in securing the player’s signature. While West Ham are reportedly leading the race, the entry of Chelsea in the scene will certainly complicate the situation.
Bryan Mbeumo
When Brentford signed the 20-year-old right-winger from French second division side Troyes last summer, no one knew much about him.
However, the choice has proved to be the right one as the youngster has not only gone on to establish himself as an indispensable part of Thomas Frank’s team but is also being touted as a star in the making.
Featuring in 34 of his side’s 37 Championship matches, Bryan Mbeumo has scored 14 goals and has set up seven more for his team-mates.
In the 2,404 minutes he has been on the pitch, he has taken approximately 172 minutes to score each goal. The figures look even more impressive as he is not the primary striker for Brentford.
Ollie Watkins
The third and ultimate member of Brentford’s three-prong attack is 24-year-old Ollie Watkins. The 2017 signing from Exeter City has found his groove this season, scoring 22 times in 34 matches.
His partnership with Benrahma and Mbeumo has drawn praise from all quarters, with manager Thomas Frank going on to say that he wouldn’t swap any member of the BMW for anyone else in the division.
“I don’t think I’d want to change any of them for anyone from any other club in the division.”
In the 3,320 minutes he has been on the pitch, Watkins has taken 151 minutes to score each of his goals.
His performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with West Ham and Sheffield United tracking the player.
However, Watkins dreams of playing for Arsenal one day.
“Yeah, the dream. That’s the dream to play for Arsenal one day. But, you know: it’s a long shot.”
While keeping the trio at the club next season will be a challenge for the Bees, irrespective of whether they stay in the Championship or play in the Premier League, the manager will hope that they can power Brentford to glory at the end of this season.
The BMW, on their part, will also try to do their best in order to secure the best possible move to a club, where they will not only get a fat paycheck but also receive the chance of playing alongside world-class footballers.
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