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More than the midpoint of the campaign, The Bees are in dreamland.

Following four wins in five games, and a Brazilian striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A convincing 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 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 squarely in the fight for continental football.

No one was predicting this last summer.

Thomas Frank had left for Tottenham 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 attacking 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 respectively.

Specialist coach Keith Andrews was elevated to replace 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 the new year with Brentford in the top five.

So, how did they pull it off?

The Brazilian's Record-breaking Campaign

The club'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 knew they had a £30m striker already ready and waiting.

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

Thiago has set about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the most by a player from Brazil in a single Premier League campaign.

Considering the countrymen who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said. "He's physically intimidating, fast, 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 proud. 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 shows the level he is playing at.

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

His opener against the opposition was his seventh opener of the season. Given 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 overstated.

Prior to the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shooting accuracy than Igor Thiago's 59.1%.

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

Considering the struggles he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and characters," Andrews said. "It is really notable. He is a really unique person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to forge this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his abilities constantly and we are learning more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

Andrews 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 – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the individual components.

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

Consequently, appointing Andrews, with no previous managerial experience, and just a twelve months at the club was seen by those external observers as a huge risk.

A first managerial job is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the jump from specialist coach to the manager's office.

But given that Ipswich boss 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 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 Newcastle have followed.

Wins that, following their excellent recent form, could prove all the more important in the pursuit for European qualification.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really good. We are playing with courage and belief in everything we do with or without the ball," Andrews added. "We're happy 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 little choice, because things could quickly look very different.

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