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Over the midpoint of the campaign, Brentford find themselves in dreamland.

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

A convincing three-nil win over Sunderland moved Keith Andrews' side into fifth in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure European football last term.

Only leaders Arsenal have collected 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 race for European football.

Few was predicting this last off-season.

The former head coach had left for Spurs 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.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of 39 goals in the previous campaign – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Set-piece coach Andrews was elevated to replace Frank, while there was no striker among the off-season arrivals.

A year of struggle, possibly even relegation, was widely predicted. Yet here we are in January with Brentford in the top five.

So, how have they managed it?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

The club's decision not to sign another striker was partly 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 waiting to go.

The 24-year-old joined from Belgium in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was hindered by injury in his debut campaign, going goalless in eight appearances.

The 24-year-old has gone 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 Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

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

"He has been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder an analyst said. "He's 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 brimming with confidence. His statistics are incredible. 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 underscores the level he is operating at.

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

His first goal against the Black Cats was his 7th opener of the season. Given how often we are told the importance of the initial strike in a game, having someone you can rely 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. Achieve that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Given the struggles he had in his youth, where he labored in construction 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 handles with ease.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise 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 well. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his skill set constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

The Manager Proving Sceptics Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the headline act but Brentford 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 concern was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club 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 leap from specialist coach to the manager's office.

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

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 5 league games in charge but significant home victories against United, Liverpool and Newcastle have since occurred.

Wins that, following their excellent recent form, could prove increasingly important in the race for European qualification.

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

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 odds. And the longer that continues, the closer to fruition those aspirations of the continent will become.