Mbeumo scores twice in Brentford victory
Bryan Mbeuno scored twice as Brentford moved up to fourth in the Championship.
Mathias Jensen’s opener plus Mbeumo’s double inside the first half hour blew promotion rivals Reading away, in what proved to be a very satisfactory afternoon for Bees’ head coach Thomas Frank.
With Ethan Pinnock suspended after being sent off during the midweek draw at Watford, it was a good opportunity for summer signing Charlie Goode to step in for a fresh centre-half partnership with Mads Bech Sorensen.
Tarique Fosu came in at right-back for the injured Henrik Dalsgaard, but otherwise it was a strong-looking Brentford 11 – captained by Ivan Toney – that had won four and drawn three of their last seven games.
Fifth-placed Reading won in dramatic style at QPR at week ago. However, they began slowly and were pinned back by the enthusiastic Bees. And the hosts’ hunger paid off on 11 minutes with the opening goal – via significant assistance by unfortunate visiting keeper Rafael Cabral.
Sergi Canos began the move on the right, threading the ball through to Jensen who had time to strike fiercely from around 10 yards, only for Cabral to inexplicably scoop the ball underneath him and slowly into the net.
Dishevelled Reading were subsequently taken advantage of again, when Mbeumo netted the second of the afternoon in fine fashion in the 23rd minute.
The winger, lurking on the right-hand side of the penalty area, controlled a long diagonal ball, before cutting inside Tomas Esteves and rifling into far corner of the net.
Just four minutes later it was three for the rampant Bees.
Toney, drifting in from the left, slipped the ball to Mbeumo, who easily eluded Moore before striding just inside the area to slide the ball low beyond Cabral.
Raya did turn a Josh Laurent effort over the bar as the Royals rallied before the break, but Veljko Paunovic’s men were already completely stung by a team in command.
Raya made a couple of good saves to thwart Ovie Ejaria in a much more competitive second half, as Reading attempted to rally. Their efforts were rewarded in the 63rd minute when substitute Sone Aluko found himself unmarked to easily head home from six yards.
Toney almost made it four when the striker headed against the bar.
Brentford: Raya, Henry (Thompson 46), Goode, Canos (Forss 76), Jensen, Dasilva (Marcondes 64), Toney, Mbuemo (Ghoddos 64), Fosu, Janelt, Bech Sorensen
