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More than the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford find themselves in dreamland.

Following four wins in their last five outings, and a Samba striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans find themselves drifting off with thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A comprehensive 3-0 win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure European football last season.

Only table-toppers the Gunners have collected more points over the past six games.

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

No one was forecasting this last off-season.

The former head coach 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 top flight.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Specialist coach Andrews was promoted to succeed the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

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

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

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

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

Igor Thiago joined from Belgium in the summer for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his double against Sunderland taking him to sixteen league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with seventeen matches left to play.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He is a physical specimen, quick, strong, but technically better than people think. Excellent with his feet, both feet, he can score with both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers are fantastic. He must be so proud. That's a big 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 standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal against the opposition was his seventh first goal of a game of the season. Given how often we are told the significance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

Prior to the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least thirty efforts this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1 percent.

He finds 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 unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"Our scouts deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and characters," the manager said. "It is really notable. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and toiled. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving 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 key individuals – a host of talent – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

The concern 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 stay up.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A first managerial job 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 boss Kieran McKenna was the only other option 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 the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

Andrews won just one of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and Newcastle have followed.

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

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

In a league where the European spots and the lower mid-table are currently separated by just eight points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

But, for now, The Bees are beating the predictions. And the longer that continues, the closer to reality those dreams of Europe will become.