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

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Samba striker netting the goals, suddenly supporters are envisioning thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A comprehensive three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a place that was sufficient to secure European football last term.

Solely leaders Arsenal have accumulated 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.

Few was forecasting this last off-season.

Thomas Frank had departed for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club promoted but also cemented them in the elite division.

Club captain Christian Norgaard left for the North London club and goal-scoring duo two key forwards – who scored a combined of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace the Dane, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the off-season arrivals.

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

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Historic Campaign

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with Wissa's move not going through until deadline day.

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

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

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

Considering the countrymen who have preceded him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," pundit an analyst said. "He's physically intimidating, fast, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. His statistics are incredible. He must be so pleased. 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 highlights the standard he is playing at.

And it is not just the quantity but the crucial nature of the goals that have been so important for his team.

His opener against the Black Cats 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 rely on to take that early opportunity cannot be underestimated.

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

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

Given the hardships he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the passing of his father, perhaps it should be no surprise that high-stakes situations 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," the manager said. "It is really notable. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to forge this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. He has got serious grit about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a largely complete centre-forward."

Andrews Showing Doubters Incorrect

Their star striker is the headline act but Brentford are not and have never been a one-man band.

While they had key individuals – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under Frank, they were always seen as a team stronger than the individual components.

The fear was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the sum of their parts alone might not be enough to stay up.

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

A maiden role is a test for anyone, let alone when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the jump from specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other option that Brentford looked at, they were clearly confident 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 Manchester United, the Reds and the Magpies have since occurred.

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

"We're in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," Andrews added. "We are happy 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 otherwise.

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