Brentford have particularly suffered this season in the striker department however January has been a fresh start for Thomas Frank's men who may now have found their solution to being more clinical in front of goal.
The Bees claimed a pivotal win over Nottingham Forest last week to begin their climb back up a congested Premier League Table. In a season where so little has gone Brentford's way it was a delight to see both Neil Maupay and Ivan Toney among the goal scorers. Bees fans will remember the days of BMW (Benrahma, Mbuemo and Watkins) and hope that the players they have now can find some consistency up top to reincarnate what this trio were able to produce. Luckily for Brentford fans they may not have to wait long for the goals to start flooding in as after Wednesdays evening game against Tottenham Hotspur both Toney and Maupay are on two goals in two games!
Despite taking a 1-0 lead it wasn't the result Brentford desired as they left North London with no points. Whilst the outcome of the game is disappointing, Brentford must reflect on the positives and how the understanding between Toney and Maupay is growing. Many fans had written off the likeliness of the two operating well together however they're beginning to prove doubters wrong. The chemistry and intelligence of the duo to unlock defences is becoming stronger and their ability to finish when it matters, portrays the promise the team must embrace.
Toney said after the Forest game "He's got that fire in his belly, we kind of missed that. I think me and him will score many goals together and cause some havoc!" Toney who would be more use to playing alongside the likes of Bryan Mbuemo and Yohan Wissa is already cherishing the partnership and clearly believes the future is bright. Of course, Maupay is a different calibre of player to Mbuemo and Wissa who possess more qualities in pace and skill but this hasn't phased the Frenchmen's efforts to tactically make him and Toney Work.
The pair are complementing one another in fine fashion. Under the instruction of Thomas Frank Toney and Maupay have managed to break lines and always seem to be in the right positions to work an opportunity for themselves. Although their goals came with a bit of fortune verses Spurs it was all about the desire and composure the strikers had to put the ball in the back of the net and as Toney stated this fight Maupay is bringing is energizing himself to up his levels and put every drop of sweat on the line for the club.
The duo not only frustrate opposition with the ball at their feet as they also know how to play the mental side of the game to a high standard. Yes, football is predominantly a physical sport but people forget that physical decisions are made via mental thoughts. Maupay has always been renowned for being quite the wind-up merchant and yet can you blame him for his actions, after all the way he conducts himself on the pitch and gets into opponents heads isn't illegal.
His actions some of which Toney also incorporates into his style of play are simply techniques to distract opposition into losing focus and forcing them to become emotionally attached to him as a player. Maupay has a habit of copying goal celebrations, a habit which was on full display with his goals against Forest and Tottenham where he mimicked both Chris Woods and James Maddison's celebrations. Sure, against Spurs this little throw of shade backfired but it certainly sparked a fierce reaction from Tottenham players as the first half became quite the comedy show. I believe going forward this duo will have many more altercations in relation to their cheeky behaviour and who knows on another day the reaction from the Spurs players to Maupay's mischievous antics could have seen them lose theirs heads and the game.
Maupay wasn't done their either he later posted this caption on Instagram just to wind up Tottenham fans one more time. Maupay and Maddison embraced at the end of the game and had a little laugh so in reality it's all a bit of a giggle however it's fair to say Tottenham fans in the comments took the post quite seriously and responded under rattling circumstances. Maybe these fans should have just kept their opinions close to their chests as although it's an unnecessary comment they were only providing Maupay with the reaction he desired. Not to mention it was Maddison's public comment "He's not scored enough goals of his own to have his own celebration so he's copied mine" that inspired Maupay to keep the supposed joke going.
The only concern for Brentford is how long can this duo last. Maupay is only on loan and amid rumours of Toney getting his big summer move will the pair play together next season; well it seems unlikely. Therefore, there is some investment needed asap, the Bees deal to sign Norwegian attacking prodigy Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge seems to have broken down after issues involving the 18 year olds medical. This concern is long term so for now Brentford must continue to prioritize this duo as the fixture list indicates there are a challenging few weeks ahead for the Bees.
Brentford are to face treble winning champions Manchester City next so Toney and Maupay will have to take this form a step further to rival a City team that are now back to full strength with the return of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. The Bees were the only side last season to do the double over Manchester City so they must play with no fear in an attempt to repeat this memorable achievement.
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