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

With four wins in their last five outings, and a Samba striker netting the goals, suddenly Bees fans are dreaming of thoughts of trips to European capitals next season.

A emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the top flight – a position that was good enough to secure Champions League football last term.

Only leaders the Gunners have gathered more points over the past six games.

There's a long way to go yet but Brentford are squarely in the fight for continental football.

Few was predicting 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 guided the club promoted but also cemented them in the top flight.

Club captain their Danish midfielder left for Arsenal and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in 2024-25 – were also sold, joining Manchester United and Newcastle respectively.

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

A season of struggle, possibly even the drop, was widely predicted. But here we are in January with the club in the top five.

So, how have they managed it?

Igor Thiago's Record-breaking Season

Brentford's decision not to bring in another striker was in part down to circumstance, with one forward's move not going through until the final day of the window.

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

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then club record fee, but was plagued by fitness issues in his first campaign, going goalless in his initial outings.

Thiago 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 highest tally by a Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign.

Given the countrymen who have preceded him, that is a remarkable feat, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He has been a breath of fresh air," pundit Danny Murphy said. "He's physically intimidating, quick, powerful, but technically better than people think. Good with his feet, both feet, he can score off 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 a trio of global superstars have scored more in any of the continent's major leagues to this point highlights the level he is operating at.

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

His opener 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 first big chance 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 hits the target. Achieve 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 unsurprising that high-stakes situations on the pitch is something he handles with ease.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," the manager said. "It is really impressive. He is a really special person who has adapted to life very well. He has had to earn this path. He has worked for his journey and grafted. He has got real determination about his personality. He is improving his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a pretty complete centre-forward."

Andrews Proving Doubters Incorrect

Igor Thiago is the man of the moment but the team are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had star players – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under Frank, they were always seen as a team more effective than the sum of their parts.

The fear 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 avoid relegation.

As a result, appointing their set-piece coach, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a gamble.

A first managerial job is a test for anyone, let alone when it comes in the Premier League and having made the leap from specialist coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich Town manager one candidate was the only other alternative that the hierarchy 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 vindicated.

Andrews won just one of his first 5 league games in charge but big home victories against Manchester United, the Reds and the Magpies have since occurred.

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

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

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

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