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Over halfway through the season, The Bees are in fantasy land.

With four wins in five games, and a Brazilian striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A emphatic 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a place that was sufficient to secure Champions League football last season.

Solely table-toppers Arsenal have gathered more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There is a significant distance to go yet but the West London outfit are firmly in the fight for continental football.

No one was predicting this last summer.

The former head coach had left for Spurs after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club promoted but also cemented them in the elite division.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle United respectively.

Set-piece coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

A season of struggle, possibly even relegation, was forecast. But here we are in January with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not being finalized until deadline day.

But they also were aware they had a £30 million striker already chomping at the bit.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was hindered by fitness issues in his first campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

The 24-year-old has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have preceded him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He has been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, powerful, but technically better than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. His statistics are incredible. He must be so proud. That's a big compliment to him."

That only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have scored more in any of Europe's top five leagues to this point shows the level he is playing at.

And it is not just the volume but the timing of the goals that have been so vital for Brentford.

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that first big chance cannot be overstated.

Prior to the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shot accuracy rate than Igor Thiago's 59.1%.

He hits the target. Do that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the hardships he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "This is really notable. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Incorrect

Their star striker is the man of the moment but the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the individual components.

The fear was that once the Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of their parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing their set-piece coach, with a blank managerial CV, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A first managerial job is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the leap from specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss one candidate was the only other alternative that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident they had the right man.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at Brentford, it looks as if they were spot on.

Andrews won just a single of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against United, the Reds and Newcastle have since occurred.

Wins that, following their excellent recent form, could prove all the more important in the race for Europe.

"We're in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with courage and conviction in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We're pleased with how we are going but we want to keep striving."

In a league where fourth and 15th are currently separated by just eight points, they have little choice, because things could quickly look very otherwise.

But, for now, Brentford are defying the predictions. And the longer that continues, the closer to reality those aspirations of the continent will become.