'Never doubt Bryan' - Mbeumo 'Premier League's best' penalty taker

Brentford have converted 20 of their 21 penalties in the Premier League; the joint-best conversion rate among teams who've taken 10 or more in the competition (level with Swansea)

Brentford are so confident in Bryan Mbeumo's penalty-taking abilities his team-mates are celebrating before he even strikes the ball.

Against Crystal Palace, Yoane Wissa raised both his arms and started running towards the Brentford fans before Mbeumo had even started his run up.

The Cameroon forward duly hit the net in his side's 2-1 win at Selhurst Park, keeping his 100% spot-kick record in the Premier League.

But Mbeumo did require a slice of good fortune to keep his record. His initial effort hit the inside of the post, but a retake was ordered after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) review spotted Palace's Marc Guehi entering the penalty area before the ball was struck.

It made Wissa's confidence in his team-mate all the more telling.

After the match, Brentford manager Thomas Frank called Mbeumo the Premier League's best penalty-taker.

"We had the [best] before [in Ivan Toney] and now we have a second one," Frank said.

"Mbeumo has very, very good mentality, composure and focus. I think it's trusting the process, trusting his strategy, so he did exactly the same as he's doing for every single penalty and he knows that's what he needs to do in the future."

How does Mbeumo's record compare?

Mbeumo is one of only five players to take nine or more penalties in the Premier League and score them all

Since his first in December, 2021, Mbeumo has scored 10 penalties in all competitions in English football, missing none.

When it comes to just Premier League spot-kicks, only Cole Palmer, Raul Jimenez and Yaya Toure have taken more than the 25-year-old's nine without failing to score.

Brentford's last penalty-taking talisman was Toney who scored 11 from 12 yards in the English top flight, but even he missed his penultimate effort for the Bees.

With Mbeumo reprieved by VAR on Sunday, he took his second chance with a jumping run-up just before he hit the ball, waiting for goalkeeper Dean Henderson to dive the wrong way.

"Never doubt Bryan," said team-mate Nathan Collins. "We are all so confident in him and he's confident in himself. To do that on your second one, it's unreal."

Asked about Wissa's early celebration, Mbeumo said it was down to their pair's friendship "on and off the pitch".

"If one of us scores, then we are really happy for the other," Mbeumo told Sky Sports.

He added his winning penalty-taking formula was down to "just focusing myself".

"It's all mental at this point," he added. "I know I work a lot and I just needed to do the business."