Analysis: Mbeumo's Spurs goal takes him level with Toney in Brentford stat | OneFootball

Brentford once again made an explosive start to their 3-1 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, but ultimately fell to defeat in north London.

Much like at the Etihad Stadium last time out, it was just a matter of seconds before the Bees took the lead, with work done on kick-offs clearly paying off for Thomas Frank's team.

Keane Lewis-Potter was able to get the better of Pedro Porro, before sending in a ball that Bryan Mbeumo did brilliantly to steer into the net with his trusty left foot (all of the forward's goals have come from his left foot this season). Even Spurs midfielder James Maddison admitted after the game that the Brentford man's "fantastic finish" was likely to be up for Goal of the Month.

The Cameroon international really has started the season brilliantly well and is now tied with Ivan Toney as Brentford's most productive player in the Premier League with 47 total goal involvements. In total, Mbeumo has 21 goals and 26 assists, compared to Toney's 36 goals and 11 assists.

This season, Mbeumo is currently averaging 0.8 goals per game, a number that only two players in the Premier League can better: Luis Díaz (one goal per game) and Erling Haaland who is, absurdly, averaging two goals per game.

All four of Mbeumo's goals so far have also been from open play and this time only Haaland has more open-play goals with nine.

The Norwegian is also the only player in the top flight to be outperforming Expected Goals (xG) more than Mbeumo so far this term. Haaland has a positive xG Difference of +4.48, while Mbeumo is second with +2.34, which puts him ahead of Díaz who has +1.74.

Mbeumo was without his usual partner against Spurs, the injured Yoane Wissa. The 28-year-old's absence is a big blow, especially considering how he has also had a strong start to the season. Wissa was one of just three players to have accumulated an xG of at least 3 going into the weekend.

Wissa had a total xG of 3.07 in his first four appearances, which only Ollie Watkins (3.73xG) and Haaland (4.49xG) could beat at that stage. Now Wissa has to settle for top five in the rankings, with Liverpool's Díaz and Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson able to overtake the Brentford man after having played one game more.

Thomas Frank elected to play Fábio Carvalho in attack alongside Mbeumo for the Spurs clash, after the Portuguese opened his Bees' account midweek against Leyton Orient in the Carabao Cup.

Carvalho's high-pressing hustle almost earned big rewards when he harried Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario into what would have been a costly mistake had the Italian not recovered in time to keep Mbeumo's effort out.

Even in the absence of Christian Nørgaard and Mathias Jensen, the Bees midfield was firm against a Spurs team who were in danger of conceding an equaliser against a Brentford team who had the majority of the ball.

In the end, it was going forward for a leveller that resulted in Tottenham sealing the victory late on through Maddison.

Three goals perhaps flattered Spurs overall and there should be no concerns about the Bees' defence; Nathan Collins tops the league for shots blocked (16) while Mark Flekken has made more saves (28) than any other goalkeeper in the 'top five' European leagues.

Overall, there were plenty of positives for Frank and his side - especially the in-form Mbeumo - to take going into the two upcoming home games, where Brentford have a 100 per cent record so far.