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More than halfway through the campaign, The Bees are in a dream scenario.

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Samba striker scoring the goals, suddenly Bees fans are envisioning thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A comprehensive three-nil win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was good enough to secure European football last term.

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

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

No one was envisioning this last summer.

Thomas Frank had departed for Tottenham after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also established them in the elite division.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – 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 promoted to succeed Frank, while there was no striker among the summer signings.

A year of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. But here we are in the new year with Brentford in the upper echelons.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Season

The club's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not going through until the final day of the window.

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

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

The 24-year-old has gone about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against the Wearside club taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Considering the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is physically intimidating, fast, strong, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, either foot, he can score with both. You can see he's brimming with confidence. These numbers are fantastic. He must be so pleased. That's a huge compliment to him."

That only a trio of global superstars have scored more in any of the continent's major leagues to this point shows the level he is playing at.

And it is not just the quantity but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so vital for Brentford.

His first goal against the Black Cats was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Given how often we are told the significance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that first big chance cannot be underestimated.

Before the game against their opponents, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shot accuracy rate than the striker's 59.1%.

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

Given the struggles he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death 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 praise for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," the manager said. "It is really impressive. He is a really unique person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and toiled. 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 complete centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Sceptics Wrong

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

While they had star players – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

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

Consequently, appointing their set-piece coach, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those outside the club 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 jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other alternative that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly confident they had the right man.

To date, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

The new boss won just one of his first five league games in charge but significant home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and the Magpies have followed.

Results that, following their brilliant recent run, could prove increasingly important in the pursuit for Europe.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and conviction in everything we do with or 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 eight points, they have no other option, because things could quickly look very different.

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