Brentford recorded their fifth Premier League win of 2023/24 at home to Luton Town on Saturday in a game that underlined the positive impact made by striker Neal Maupay since he returned to the club.

After a tough run of fixtures before the international break, the Bees' victory over the Hatters was the first of a series of more 'winnable' games that could see Brentford move further up the table over the course of December.

It was Maupay who opened the scoring in the 49th minute, when he was in the right place at the right time to fire home from close range, and the French forward’s all-round game caught the eye in west London.

"We were sure that he’ll do well for us because we know him well and he can score goals," head coach Thomas Frank said about the 27-year-old after the game.

"He’s had to get back into it and in the last weeks he’s played really good. I’m pleased it’s paying off for him."

Indeed, Maupay has two goals and two assists in his last six matches for the Bees with three of those six games being substitute appearances from the 70th minute onwards.

Frank and his staff will hope Maupay has reignited the prolific goalscoring form he showed in his first stint at the club, and there is no doubt that the Frenchman, if fit and firing, provides this Brentford side with a valuable threat from open play that can only bode well for the Bees.

"He scores goals – that's a big thing," Frank continued following their 3-1 win.

"He’s a good pressing player and link-up player when he drops down and finds a solution. As a character, he’s good for the group."

Brentford have scored 16 open-play goals so far this term, compared to just five from dead-ball situations, with both of Maupay's goals coming from free play (all three of Yoane Wissa's goals this season are also from open play).

This is a massive difference compared to the numbers posted by the Bees in their first two Premier League campaigns. In 2021/22, Brentford scored 54 per cent of their top-flight goals from open play (excluding own goals), and while this figure crept up to 58 per cent in 2022/23, a whopping 76 per cent of the Bees’ Premier League goals this season have come from ‘live’ situations.

Previously, Ivan Toney was responsible for much of Brentford’s output from dead-balls with the England forward receiving strong support from defenders weighing in with goals, as Ben Mee did with the Bees’ second against Luton on Saturday.

Last season, just six of Toney’s 20 goals (30 per cent) were from open play, while only three of his 12 goals (25 per cent) in the 2021/22 season were not sourced from dead-balls.

As his numbers for Brentford in the Championship illustrate, Maupay offers a very different threat.

In his first season with the Bees in 2017/18, 11 of his 12 Championship goals (92 per cent) stemmed from open play while in his second, under Frank for the majority of the year, Maupay hit 18 of his 25 goals (72 per cent) from open play.

The former Brighton man looks to be hitting top form and, with Toney set to return, Brentford should have a formidable and varied attacking armoury at their disposal come the New Year.