Many people expected Brentford to struggle after seeing star striker Ivan Toney depart for Saudi Arabia on transfer deadline day in August – a problem compounded by a string of injuries to Toney’s most likely replacement, club record signing Igor Thiago.
But Mbeumo’s hot streak has helped fill the void, aided and abetted by Yoane Wissa, who found the net 19 times in the league.
A formidable strike partnership on the pitch, the connection between these good friends continues off it, with Wissa the more relaxed part of the duo.
“He helped me a lot with the mental part,” revealed Mbeumo, who eventually describes himself as an “electrical player” after pausing to find the right word to relate his temperament.
“I get angry really easy,” he continued. “He [Wissa] helped me to just stay cool.”
Mbeumo, a former France youth international, has now been in west London for six seasons, having joined from Troyes in August 2019.
Wissa, 28, who was also born and began his career in France, signed two years later, something that meant Mbeumo was initially happy to act as a mentor when his friend arrived from Lorient.
“I learned a lot from [former Brentford players] Julien Jeanvier and Said Benrahma who helped me before, so I wanted to do the same with him because I think it is hard when you leave your first place and go to another country.
“I used to live really close to him, just one minute away. Sometimes I was joining him at his, having dinners.”
While Mbeumo made his decision to play for Cameroon in August 2022, Wissa made his debut for DR Congo back in 2020.
Mbeumo agrees their shared Franco-African heritage is part of what makes them so close.
“When I decided to play for Cameroon he was the happiest and he just sent me a message (saying) ‘I’m so, so happy for you. You made a good choice’.”
Barring injury, both players will miss this year’s festive Premier League fixtures to take part in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on 21 December.
But the success of their partnership is not just down to their friendship. Mbeumo says they also put in extra work as a pairing after training to “create links”.
“Then, on the pitch, sometimes you don’t even have to look,” he added.
