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More than halfway through the campaign, Brentford find themselves in fantasy land.

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

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

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

There is a significant distance to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the battle for European football.

No one was envisioning this last summer.

Thomas Frank had left for Spurs after a seven-year stint in charge, a period in which he had not only got the club promoted but also established them in the top flight.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for the North London club and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

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

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

So, how have they managed it?

Igor Thiago's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was partly down to circumstance, with one forward's move not going through until deadline day.

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

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in July 2024 for a then-record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his debut campaign, going without a goal in his initial outings.

Thiago has set about compensating for lost time this season, though, with his brace against Sunderland taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

Considering the fellow Brazilians who have come before him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games left to play.

"He has been a revelation," former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said. "He's physically intimidating, quick, strong, but more skilled than people think. Excellent 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 underscores the standard he is playing at.

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

His first goal against the Black Cats was his 7th first goal of a game of the season. Considering how often we are told the importance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that early opportunity 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 the striker's 59.1 percent.

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

Given the hardships he had in his youth, where he worked as a bricklayer to provide for 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 characters," the manager said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his skill set constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty all-round centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the headline act but Brentford are not and have never been a one-man band.

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 Dane left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to stay up.

Consequently, 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 maiden role is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was the only other option that the hierarchy looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the correct candidate.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the brains trust at the club, it looks as if they were spot on.

The new boss 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 followed.

Results that, following their brilliant recent form, could prove all the more important in the race for European qualification.

"We are in good form and playing really good. 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 fourth and 15th are currently separated by just eight points, they have little choice, because things could rapidly look very otherwise.

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