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More than the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees are in a dream scenario.

With four wins in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker banging in the goals, suddenly Bees fans are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A convincing 3-0 win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure Champions League football last season.

Solely leaders the Gunners have gathered more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the battle for continental football.

Few was forecasting this last summer.

Thomas Frank had departed for Spurs after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the elite division.

Skipper their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of 39 goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Set-piece coach Andrews was elevated to succeed the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

A season of difficulty, possibly even the drop, was forecast. Yet here we are in the new year with the club in the upper echelons.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to circumstance, with one forward's move not being finalized until the final day of the window.

But they also were aware they had a £30m striker already ready and waiting.

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in the summer for a then club record fee, but was hindered by injury in his first campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against the Wearside club taking him to sixteen league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single English top-flight campaign.

Considering the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, quick, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. These numbers 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 the continent's major leagues to this point highlights the standard he is playing at.

And it is not just the quantity but the timing of the goals that have been so vital for his team.

His first goal against the opposition was his 7th opener of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Before the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than the striker's 59.1 percent.

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

Considering the struggles 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 unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the type of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to forge this path. He has earned his journey and toiled. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Sceptics Wrong

Igor Thiago is the headline act but the team are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had key individuals – a host of talent – under Frank, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

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

As a result, appointing their set-piece coach, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a gamble.

A maiden role is a challenge for anyone, especially when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich Town manager one candidate was the only other option that Brentford looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the correct candidate.

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

The new boss won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but big home victories against United, Liverpool and the Magpies have followed.

Wins that, following their excellent recent form, could prove increasingly important in the pursuit for Europe.

"We're in good form and playing really well. We are playing with courage and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We're pleased with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

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

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