Charlton were aware of the danger that Said Benrahma poses, but stopping him was a real task in itself.
Since his move to West London in the summer of 2018, not many players in the Championship have made as much noise as the Algerian. He has enjoyed an outstanding season thus far. He’s also one third of the BMW (Benrahma, Watkins, Mbuemo) front-line that has been causing headaches across the league all season. The trio have bagged 54 of Brentford’s 77 goals this season and Benrahma has been right at the heart of it all.
Whether it be a back heel, a rainbow flick or making opponents look silly, we have seen it all from the tricky winger this season. Just in February, Middlesbrough’s Lewis Wing was left fuming after he was on the receiving end of a double nutmeg by Benrahma.
It’s not just the eye catching skills that makes him stand out, but rather his end product too. The combination of skill, creativity and end product, especially within the Championship, have come few and far between since Adel Tarrabt’s days at QPR almost a decade ago.
Benrahma has drawn comparison to fellow Algerian and Manchester City Winger Riyad Mahrez, who once upon a time also played in the Championship for Leicester, having arrived from Ligue 2.
After securing his second hattrick of the season against Wigan at the weekend, and scoring a penalty in the 2-1 win over Charlton on Tuesday night, Benrahma now has 15 goals and 9 assists to his name, as the Bees aim to make it a historic season.
Unsurprisingly, the buzz around his name is growing with Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal all reportedly interested in his services. Aston Villa were believed to have had a bid of £15 million rejected last summer as Brentford refused to part company with their number 10. Whether they can hold the same stance if they fail to get promoted to the Premier League will remain to be seen.
For now, the West London side continue with their relentless chase on the top two. They have picked up maximum points since the return of football, leaving them just three points off Leeds, ahead of their match against Stoke tonight.
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